Nathan W. Bingham

And Clarence Darrow sort of ran circles around him. And as many of the newspaper folk said, Darrow set America laughing at fundamentalism. Darrow made Bryant look ridiculous. And some of the media there, led by H.L. Mencken, a notorious unbeliever, but a very effective writer and witty man, used the Scopes Trial to launch a full-scale attack against fundamentalism.

And Clarence Darrow sort of ran circles around him. And as many of the newspaper folk said, Darrow set America laughing at fundamentalism. Darrow made Bryant look ridiculous. And some of the media there, led by H.L. Mencken, a notorious unbeliever, but a very effective writer and witty man, used the Scopes Trial to launch a full-scale attack against fundamentalism.

Only in Bible Belt Tennessee could you have a law forbidding the teaching of evolution. How ridiculous, how unfair, how un-American. And so the whole notion of freedom, the whole notion of tolerance, the whole notion of niceness was brought out by the press and America was set laughing at fundamentalism. And the mood of the nation changed. The mood in the Presbyterian church changed.

Only in Bible Belt Tennessee could you have a law forbidding the teaching of evolution. How ridiculous, how unfair, how un-American. And so the whole notion of freedom, the whole notion of tolerance, the whole notion of niceness was brought out by the press and America was set laughing at fundamentalism. And the mood of the nation changed. The mood in the Presbyterian church changed.

Things were dramatically different after that, and increasingly the press became critical of fundamentalism as being intolerant. There's nothing worse in America than being intolerant. And when the General Assembly met in the next year, 1926, the committee reported that everything was fine in the Presbyterian Church. There was no theological problem in the Presbyterian Church.

Things were dramatically different after that, and increasingly the press became critical of fundamentalism as being intolerant. There's nothing worse in America than being intolerant. And when the General Assembly met in the next year, 1926, the committee reported that everything was fine in the Presbyterian Church. There was no theological problem in the Presbyterian Church.

And indeed, anyone who would suggest there was a problem in the Presbyterian Church, there's something wrong with them. And at that meeting of the General Assembly, a recommendation was present to make Professor Machen, Professor of Apologetics at Princeton Seminary, General Assembly had always just rubber-stamped those kinds of recommendations coming from seminaries.

And indeed, anyone who would suggest there was a problem in the Presbyterian Church, there's something wrong with them. And at that meeting of the General Assembly, a recommendation was present to make Professor Machen, Professor of Apologetics at Princeton Seminary, General Assembly had always just rubber-stamped those kinds of recommendations coming from seminaries.

But the decision was made to establish a study committee to study what was going on at Princeton. What's wrong at Princeton that they're causing all this trouble in the Presbyterian church? And so, as we come to an end today, we see how quickly things can turn. how quickly things can be reversed. There was never a conservative majority at a Presbyterian General Assembly after 1925.

But the decision was made to establish a study committee to study what was going on at Princeton. What's wrong at Princeton that they're causing all this trouble in the Presbyterian church? And so, as we come to an end today, we see how quickly things can turn. how quickly things can be reversed. There was never a conservative majority at a Presbyterian General Assembly after 1925.

That was W. Robert Godfrey helping us see the state of the Church in the early 20th century and the role of J. Gresham Machen in drawing a dividing line between true Christianity and theological liberalism. So what happened next? Request part six of Dr. Godfrey's overview of church history and study the rest of the story.

That was W. Robert Godfrey helping us see the state of the Church in the early 20th century and the role of J. Gresham Machen in drawing a dividing line between true Christianity and theological liberalism. So what happened next? Request part six of Dr. Godfrey's overview of church history and study the rest of the story.

When you give a gift of any amount in support of Renewing Your Mind and the global outreach of Ligonier Ministries, a ministry committed to the proclamation of theologically and biblically faithful teaching. We'll send you this series on DVD, and we'll unlock the series and the study guide in the free Ligonier app.

When you give a gift of any amount in support of Renewing Your Mind and the global outreach of Ligonier Ministries, a ministry committed to the proclamation of theologically and biblically faithful teaching. We'll send you this series on DVD, and we'll unlock the series and the study guide in the free Ligonier app.

The easiest way for you to request your copy is to give your donation at renewingyourmind.org, or you can find a link in the podcast show notes. This is the final time that we'll be featuring this overview of church history on Saturdays, and it's the final day to request this sixth installment.

The easiest way for you to request your copy is to give your donation at renewingyourmind.org, or you can find a link in the podcast show notes. This is the final time that we'll be featuring this overview of church history on Saturdays, and it's the final day to request this sixth installment.

Today on Renewing Your Mind, R.C. Sproul reads his children's book, The Prince's Poison Cup. Here's a preview.

Today on Renewing Your Mind, R.C. Sproul reads his children's book, The Prince's Poison Cup. Here's a preview.

Since you listened to Renewing Your Mind, you know that R.C. Sproul was a gifted communicator, and the Lord used him to proclaim and explain truth to Christians at every age and stage of the Christian life. Yes, he taught in seminary classrooms, but he also helped children understand the importance of the gospel and the Bible as the final authority for faith and life.

Since you listened to Renewing Your Mind, you know that R.C. Sproul was a gifted communicator, and the Lord used him to proclaim and explain truth to Christians at every age and stage of the Christian life. Yes, he taught in seminary classrooms, but he also helped children understand the importance of the gospel and the Bible as the final authority for faith and life.