Joe Labbiento
Dr. Cuff
History 106
20 November, 2015

Larson, Edward J. Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion. New York: BasicBooks, 1997.

Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion, by Edward J. Larson, tells of the court trial of Clarence Darrow defending John Scopes against the radical populist William Jennings Bryan. Scopes had been challenged for going against the law by teaching evolution to students in a public school. The length of text begins with Scope studying the scientific findings of Charles Dawson, who examined skull pieces that may have filled the gap between apes and humans. This is what motivated Scopes with the fascination of evolution. But then there were people like William Jennings Bryan who come into play and take the religious side, wanting to go against the idea of evolution. Society wasn’t exactly mostly favoring the idea of evolution since there were laws against spreading the idea as Scopes had. This is, of course, how Scopes ended up in court. However, the text does not end with the ruling of the trial. The text stretches to the anti-evolution movement continuing on with Bryan trying to start his crusade, and eventually gets to how schools restructure what society thinks should be the new benchmarks of education. Basically, the text tells the history of these two ideas, but in the end, neither is right or wrong since everyone has the liberty for their own beliefs.

The 1920s hosted a famous court case between John Scopes and William Jennings Bryan, posing as science and religion. Many at the time would have probably believed that evolution was a wrong stance to make, knowing that selling that belief would only go against the law. Scopes obviously did not care about what society thought; he educated to others his beliefs. Larson wrote of this historic tale to emphasize individuality, the freedom of speech, and the reform of society to openly acknowledge the ideas of others. The main element to take away from Larson’s book is how the court case changed society. Everyone has their own beliefs, whether they are about who should be elected for a presidential candidate or which football team to cheer for. But to this day, we question the creation of Earth and everything that we can see in space. Do people believe in the Big Bang Theory or do they say it was by the hand of God? No one knows for sure but everyone is entitled to their own belief with no conflicting opposition. This is what Scopes had strived for in his time; to be able to share his interest in the idea of evolution despite society and the law restricting him.
Larson had written his historic piece in the order that everything truly occurred, and it makes perfect sense to have done so. He wanted to show the movement that Scopes had started by not giving up on his ideology and the impact that it later had. Overall, Larson’s take on the Scopes Trial deserves many accolades. In fact, he achieved the high honor of being awarded the Pulitzer Prize. This isn’t too much of a surprise once the reader analyzes how well this account was collaborated with such detail, yet still the sensation of a story. Despite the plethora of details, it is still ideal for someone to have a basic understanding the Scopes Trial. No matter which angle is taken on the events before, during, or after the trial in the text, the view that cannot be missed is individuals arguing over their favored beliefs. Personally, choosing to write on the accounts of the Scopes Trial seems to show interest in nothing other than promoting individuality and freedom of speech. In the time of the event, of course, Scopes would have probably been viewed as an unlawful rebel by the town of Dayton, Tennessee and the media. However, now he is viewed as one of the great American heroes who contributed to what our society is today. This is also due to those who record the events and their perspectives, but the time period creates an atmosphere that influences their perspectives. Because of this, the attitudes toward those accounts will shift over time, resulting with accounts of new historical mindsets. Through the eyes of a professional reviewer, Larson’s appreciation for John Scopes seems to be met by others. Royden Loewen, from the University of Winnipeg, Canada, shares his thoughts on Larson’s work. He supports the opinion that Larson was very descriptive by describing the setting of the court room and even the tangibles that were exhibited to the jury. Loewen also refers to Larson’s text as a “fine narrative” and states “This volume makes a nuanced contribution to the contemporary public discussion and to the growing new historiography on the relation of science and religion in American history.” Without even reading the actual book, this review makes a very positive impression for anyone who may consider reading it. Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion is hands-down an excellent read, for history enthusiasts or even those who are not so much. The text revisits why such subjects can be covered in public classrooms today that were not permitted in Scope’s time and why freedom of speech is so significant. In the end, this all contributes to how we are allowed our individuality that we have in the present due to the brave actions of a single person; John Scopes

Loewen, Royden. "Summer of the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion." The Journal of American History, 1998, 1553-554.