Nathan W. Bingham

And as I said before, in 1923, the General Assembly once again reiterated its commitment to the five fundamentals. And this decision was particularly directed against Harry Emerson Fosdick. Now, Harry Emerson Fosdick was a Baptist. one of the liberals amongst the Baptists in the 20s, but he had been asked to be stated supply preacher at a congregation in Manhattan in New York.

And as I said before, in 1923, the General Assembly once again reiterated its commitment to the five fundamentals. And this decision was particularly directed against Harry Emerson Fosdick. Now, Harry Emerson Fosdick was a Baptist. one of the liberals amongst the Baptists in the 20s, but he had been asked to be stated supply preacher at a congregation in Manhattan in New York.

And he had famously preached there a sermon entitled, Shall the Fundamentalists Win? Fairly in-your-face sort of title. And Fosdick was insistent that the fundamentalists must not be allowed to win, but the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was equally insistent that Baptist liberals ought not to be telling Presbyterians what they ought to believe.

And he had famously preached there a sermon entitled, Shall the Fundamentalists Win? Fairly in-your-face sort of title. And Fosdick was insistent that the fundamentalists must not be allowed to win, but the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was equally insistent that Baptist liberals ought not to be telling Presbyterians what they ought to believe.

And so the General Assembly, again, reiterated its commitment to conservative principles. And then something very important happened. Well, I think everything I've been saying has been pretty important. But in 1925, the General Assembly met again, and the General Assembly was confronted again by what was going on in New York.

And so the General Assembly, again, reiterated its commitment to conservative principles. And then something very important happened. Well, I think everything I've been saying has been pretty important. But in 1925, the General Assembly met again, and the General Assembly was confronted again by what was going on in New York.

And word got around in the General Assembly where there was a conservative majority that that maybe it was time to really admonish and discipline the Presbytery of New York for tolerating what it was tolerating in its churches. And the Presbytery of New York pretty well made clear that if the General Assembly criticized them, they would leave the Presbyterian Church.

And word got around in the General Assembly where there was a conservative majority that that maybe it was time to really admonish and discipline the Presbytery of New York for tolerating what it was tolerating in its churches. And the Presbytery of New York pretty well made clear that if the General Assembly criticized them, they would leave the Presbyterian Church.

And Dr. Minchin's opinion was, good, leave, go. But the General Assembly, conservative leadership, decided that they ought to give it one more chance, that they ought to be patient, that they ought to be turning the other cheek. And so they did what churches so often do in difficult times. They appointed a study committee. And the idea was, what harm can it do?

And Dr. Minchin's opinion was, good, leave, go. But the General Assembly, conservative leadership, decided that they ought to give it one more chance, that they ought to be patient, that they ought to be turning the other cheek. And so they did what churches so often do in difficult times. They appointed a study committee. And the idea was, what harm can it do?

Let's have a committee spend a year studying the condition of the church, and then the committee will bring what we can really defend as a well-researched analysis back to the General Assembly next year, and then we can do what needs to be done. What no one could know at that time is that there would be an event in the summer of 1925 that in fundamental ways would change American attitudes.

Let's have a committee spend a year studying the condition of the church, and then the committee will bring what we can really defend as a well-researched analysis back to the General Assembly next year, and then we can do what needs to be done. What no one could know at that time is that there would be an event in the summer of 1925 that in fundamental ways would change American attitudes.

Up until 1925, most American churches and most Americans and most reporting on the state of American churches was more sympathetic to the fundamentalist side than they were to the liberal side. But in the summer of 1925, There was a trial that took place that came to be known in the press as the monkey trial. A trial that took place in Dayton, Tennessee.

Up until 1925, most American churches and most Americans and most reporting on the state of American churches was more sympathetic to the fundamentalist side than they were to the liberal side. But in the summer of 1925, There was a trial that took place that came to be known in the press as the monkey trial. A trial that took place in Dayton, Tennessee.

A trial of a nice young biology teacher in the Dayton Public High School who had violated the laws of Tennessee by teaching the theory of evolution in school. And he was put on trial. And the media flocked to this trial. And many people sensed this was going to be a very important trial.

A trial of a nice young biology teacher in the Dayton Public High School who had violated the laws of Tennessee by teaching the theory of evolution in school. And he was put on trial. And the media flocked to this trial. And many people sensed this was going to be a very important trial.

And so the defense of this high school teacher hired Clarence Darrow, one of the most accomplished trial lawyers in the country, to lead the defense of Mr. Scopes. And the prosecution thought it had made a brilliant choice by choosing William Jennings Bryan to lead the prosecution. William Jennings Bryan was one of the most famous men in America. He had served in the cabinet of presidents.

And so the defense of this high school teacher hired Clarence Darrow, one of the most accomplished trial lawyers in the country, to lead the defense of Mr. Scopes. And the prosecution thought it had made a brilliant choice by choosing William Jennings Bryan to lead the prosecution. William Jennings Bryan was one of the most famous men in America. He had served in the cabinet of presidents.

He'd been a nominee for president by the Democratic Party. He was well known as being one of the most accomplished orators in America. And he was a Bible-believing Presbyterian elder. And they thought, who could we get that could possibly be better? But William Jennings Bryan was an old man. He was tired. He was not well. He was not an accomplished trial lawyer.

He'd been a nominee for president by the Democratic Party. He was well known as being one of the most accomplished orators in America. And he was a Bible-believing Presbyterian elder. And they thought, who could we get that could possibly be better? But William Jennings Bryan was an old man. He was tired. He was not well. He was not an accomplished trial lawyer.