Module 2: Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism

The 1920s saw the rise of fundamentalism, particularly within Christianity, as a reaction to the rapid social, cultural, and technological changes associated with modernity. Fundamentalism was a conservative movement within evangelical Protestantism that sought to preserve traditional religious beliefs and practices in the face of what its adherents viewed as the encroaching threats of secularism, scientific progress, and moral decay. The movement emphasized the literal truth of the Bible and opposed modernist interpretations of Christianity that sought to reconcile religious teachings with evolving scientific and philosophical ideas, such as Darwin's theory of evolution. This reaction to modernity was particularly strong in rural areas, where conservative religious values were deeply entrenched, and where the effects of urbanization, consumerism, and changing social norms were seen as destabilizing forces.

Fundamentalism in the 1920s was also intertwined with nativism, as many of its proponents feared the growing influence of immigrants and foreign cultures in America. Nativism, which advocated for policies that prioritized the interests of native-born citizens, particularly in rural and small-town communities, became a key part of the fundamentalist agenda.  This was especially evident in the so-called "Scopes Trial" of 1925, in which John Scopes, a high school teacher in Tennessee, was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution in violation of state law. The trial symbolized the tension between rural, conservative Christian values and the more liberal, urban perspectives of the time. As the decade unfolded, fundamentalism became not just a religious movement but a political and cultural one as well, reflecting a broader desire to preserve the perceived purity of the nation's traditions against the forces of modernism and change.