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17h ago

Scopes Trial Centennial Highlights Enduring Battles Over Science and Faith in Schools

Dayton’s anniversary plays underscore unresolved disputes over teaching evolution versus religious displays

The Rhea County courthouse where the "Scopes monkey trial" was held in 1925 is seen, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Bryan College, a private Christian college, is seen, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Larry Jones, who portrays William Jennings Bryan, in white suit, rehearses with other actors in the play "Destiny in Dayton", July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
FILE - Judge John T. Raulston of Winchester, Tenn., holds the decision in the Tennessee vs. John Scopes case at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tenn., on July 17, 1925. (AP Photo/File)

Overview

  • Dayton, Tennessee, has marked the centennial with a locally produced play that revisits the 1925 trial and seeks to correct longstanding stereotypes about the town.
  • Vanderbilt University’s Scopes Centennial Symposium drew criticism for featuring no proponents of intelligent design despite sessions on the topic.
  • Courts in multiple states are set to rule on new Ten Commandments display laws that challenge church-state separation in public schools.
  • Recent parental-rights legislation and book ban initiatives have broadened the scope of curriculum disputes to include race, gender and LGBTQ+ issues.
  • One hundred years after the trial, debates over evolution and religion continue to shape legal battles over science education and taxpayer-funded religious schooling.