| In July, 1925, the famous Scopes "Monkey" trial brought to a head many longstanding cultural tensions. It was the culmination of the American fundamentalist-modernist controversies and of the anti-evolution campaign of the 1920s.;At the same time, though, most Ontario papers praised Bryan's character and his strong Christian faith, and held important reservations with respect to modern science. What is most notable, then, is the manner in which editors and publishers attempted a reconciliation between traditional faith and modern science. They advocated tolerance and open-mindedness, and attempted to find the middle-ground between Bryan's fundamentalism and Clarence Darrow's modernism.;Unlike American church leaders or the Ontario secular newspapers, however, the Ontario religious press did not stake out a clear position with respect to the trial or the challenging cultural questions it raised.;Finally, in their coverage of the Scopes trial, the Ontario press emphasized a sense of Canadian exceptionalism which was indicative of the country's growing nationalism. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).;The same tensions existed in Canada in the 1920s; hence, the trial sparked widespread interest in the Ontario secular press. In certain respects, the press coverage of the trial mirrored that of the United States. |
