Along with the rapid growth of urban life in the 1920’s, dedication to religion strengthened in the 1920’s with fundamentalism being the core root of the increase in its popularity. Fundamentalism was an American Protestant movement that occurred prior to the 1900s. Fundamentalism represented objection to certain trends in society, such as liberal theology, science’s challenge to religious beliefs, and increasing secularization of society (Fundamentalism 1). Fundamentalism helped reaffirm the basic religious beliefs while emphasizing Protestant teachings and the literal biblical truths. Fundamentalism provided answers for all scientific and moral questions in the teachings of the bible. These very principled and strict religious beliefs of the fundamentalists later clashed with the more liberated and analytical thinking of the modernists. Modernism was structured around the valued scientific beliefs, more so mind over matter. This clash between the two differing belief systems later led to the Scopes Trial of 1925, which ultimately revolved around the debate of arguing the validity of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and survival of the fittest, which went against Christian ethics and beliefs (Fundamentalism 3). Fundamentalists thought modern developments harmed religious identity and impaired the ability of an individual to live a morally pure life.
Fundamentalism represented objection to scientific beliefs, and reaffirmed religious beliefs. Fundamentalists believed that all questions could be answered by religion and teachings of the bible. Due to their beliefs, they often clashed with the scientific beliefs of the modernists, such as Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
The clash between the beliefs of the religious fundamentalists and the scientific modernists led to the Scopes Trial of 1925. This trial argued the validity of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and survival of the fittest, which went against Christian beliefs.