Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion

The 1925 Scopes Trial marked a watershed in our national relationship between science and religion and has had tremendous impact on our culture ever since, even inspiring the play and movie, both titled “Inherit the Wind.” In addition to symbolizing the evolutionist versus creationist debate, the trial helped shape the development of both popular religion and religious freedom in America. Yet despite its influence on the 20th century, there are no modern histories of the trial and its aftermath. This book fills that void not only by skillfully narrating the trial’s events, but also by framing it in a broader social context, showing how its influence has cut across religious, cultural, educational and political lines. With new material from both the prosecution and the defense, along with the author’s astute historical and legal analysis, “Summer for the Gods” is destined to become a new classic about a pivotal milestone in American history.