Theses and Dissertations, 1980-1989

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1989

  • All Things Made New: the Evolving Fundamentalism of Harry Rimmer, 1890-1952 by Roger Daniel Schultz. Dissertation (Ph.D.), University of Arkansas. 519 p.
    Harry Rimmer (1890-1952) was a national leader of American fundamentalism in the first half of the twentieth century. Associated with fundamentalism from its beginning, Rimmer remained committed to the "fundamentals" throughout his life, but eschewed the separatistic tendencies of some fundamentalists, encouraged conservative ecumenism, and was a harbinger of an emerging evangelicalism.

    Rimmer began his career has an itinerant evangelist, serving in skid row missions, logging camps, Indian missions, military camps, YMCA youth meetings, and citywide revival crusades. His message and style were typical of fundamentalist evangelists during the era of Billy Sunday; Rimmer used colorful and dramatic techniques for the purpose of "soul winning" and promoting civic morality.

    Rimmer changed the focus of his ministry during the twenties by increasingly emphasizing Bible and science themes. He launched a crusade against evolution by creating the Research Science Bureau, testifying in behalf of state anti-evolution laws, and appearing in conferences and highly publicized debates. Rimmer was a symbolic creationist, a scientific prophet, who paved the way for later creation-scientists, by doing first-hand research on scientific questions and opposing evolution for both religious and scientific reasons.

    Rimmer participated in the fundamentalist-modernist controversy in the Presbyterian Church in the thirties. Though he continued to contribute to the creationist cause, the new focus of his work was apologetics and the defense of the Bible. His efforts to change the national church were unsuccessful, but he significantly altered the theological complexion of the Duluth Presbytery.

    In the last years of his life Rimmer became an evangelical statesmen. Returning to an eclectic, itinerant ministry, he continued his popular conference ministry and student evangelism, started servicemen's centers during World War II, and traveled extensively in behalf of world missions. Rimmer's ministry had a prophetic dimension, as he emphasized eschatological themes, current events, and civic righteousness. He also became an advocate of conservative unity, by proclaiming broadly evangelical doctrines, emphasizing evangelical Christians, cooperative ventures and supporting organizations as the National Association of Evangelicals.
  • Analysis of factors influencing the teaching of evolution and creationism in Texas public high school biology classes by Ganga Shankar. Dissertation (Ed.D.), Department of Education, Texas Tech University. 334 p.
    This research examined the emphasis given by Texas high school biology teachers to evolution and creationism. Selected variables were analyzed to determine their influence on the teaching of evolution and creationism. Data were obtained through a questionnaire administered by mail to a random sample of Texas public high school biology teachers during spring, 1988. Results obtained from 307 teachers, who represented 50 percent of the sample receiving the questionnaire, indicated that the majority of Texas biology teachers taught evolution, but did not give it comprehensive coverage as indicated by total time allocated to evolution and twelve topics concerned with evolution. The majority of the teachers thought evolution should be taught in high school biology because of its role as a unifying and central theme in biology.
  • Creationism, Intellectual Origins, Cultural Context, and Theoretical Diversity by Tom McIver. Dissertation (Ph.D.), Department of Anthropology, University of California--Los Angeles. x, 316 p.
    A study of creationism as a belief system, examining the intellectual background and origins of creationist theory, its cultural context, including its relationship to other fundamentalist beliefs and to scientific theory, and its theoretical diversity. Given the presuppositions on which it is based, creationism forms a coherent, generally selfconsistent and logical system of belief, though contradicted by modern (evolutionist) science. Fundamentalist attitudes towards science and fundamentalist opposition to evolution are largely a consequence of particular religious beliefs and doctrines. Despite necessary agreement on core concepts (biblical inerrancy, supernatural creation by God), creationism is especially subject to diversification and proliferation of competing lowerlevel theories and subsidiary hypotheses. These theories differ widely regarding the extent and application of biblical literalism, the date of creation (the age of the earth and of mankind), the nature of the Genesis Flood, the relation of biblical truth to scientific evidence, underlying eschatological assumptions and doctrines, biblical hermeneutical principles, and attitudes regarding science and external evidence. Creationist theories are therefore continually elaborated on, diversifying and proliferating as a result of the development of their own cultural logic and as a response to evolutionist challenges and reactions.

1988

  • People of the State : A Dramatic Reconstruction of the John T. Scopes Trial by Eugene T. Muto. Dissertation (Ph.D.), New York University. 338 p.

1987

1986

  • A Survey of Biology Teachers' Opinions About the Teaching of Evolutionary Theory and/or the Creation Model in the United States in Public and Private Schools by Frank E. Affannato. Thesis (Ph.D.), Department of Science Education, University of Iowa. 128 p.
    During the past ten or fifteen years much attention has been drawn to American public education by the persistant (sic) efforts of various creationist groups (such as the Creation Research Society, Creation-Science Research Center, and the Institute for Creation Research) to include the creation model in the high school biology curriculum (see Appendix A for a description of this model.) This crusade has been opposed by many state acadamies (sic) of science, teachers' organizations, and religious groups.

    It is of interest to note that in McLean v. Arkansas, the case that resulted in the Arkansas Creationism Act of 1981 (See Arkansas Creation Law in Appendix B) being declared unconstitutional, the plaintiffs;
    ...included the Arkansas Bishops of the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Churches, the principal official of the Presbyterian Churches in Arkansas, other United Methodist, Southern Baptist and Presbyterian clergy, as well as several persons who sue as parents and next friends of minor children attending Arkansas public schools. (Overton, 1982, p. 403.)
    "Thus there is opposition from religious and parental groups as well as scientific and educational groups. Despite efforts to block the inclusion of "scientific" creationism in high school science curricula, there have been a number of biology textbooks written recently with a definite creationist imprimatur and many established textbooks have mentioned the creation science model in later additions. Such additions are often accomplished with a diminution of the coverage of evolutionary theory. This has alarmed many legislators, religious groups, civil liberties groups, parents, and educators.

1985

  • A Study of Creationist Pressure : Strategies Against Evolution Instruction in the Public Schools by Joanne D. Grine. Dissertation (Ph.D.), University of Pittsburgh. 270 p.

1984

  • Public Science vs. Popular Opinion : The Creation-Evolution Legal Controversy by Edward J. Larson. Dissertation (Ph.D.), University of Wisconsin--Madison. 418 p.

1983

  • Creationism vs. Evolution : a Study of the Opinions of Georgia Science Teachers by Paula G. Eglin. Dissertation (Ph.D.), Department of Educational Administration, Georgia State University. 155 p.
    The purpose of this study was to survey Georgia science teachers for opinions about teaching creationism and to analyze these opinions in terms of other attitudinal and biographic variables. The attitudes of teachers toward creationism might be expected to be related to religious convictions, activity of creationists in the community, science background, teaching experience, familiarity with creationist literature, and demographic variables. The study was also intended to document and seek reasons for teaching creationism in Georgia public schools.
  • Creationist Movement: Science, Religion and Ideology by George M. Bevins. Master of Arts, Department of Sociology, Western Michigan University. 126 p.
    A sample of literature produced by participants in the "creationist movement" is examined in an effort to delineate the ideology of the movement. This ideology is seen as a repertoire of images of science, evolution and society which is used by creationists in their efforts to propagate their movement. Based on this literature, an "ideological substructure of belief" within the creationist movement is described, consisting of their belief in a created normative order in the world and of their fear that this order is breaking down. It is argued that the various particular aspects of the creationists' social ideology, their theory of knowledge, and their images of science and evolution can all be seen as derivatives of this ideological substructure.
  • A Sociological Account of Scientific Creationism : Science, True Science, Pseudoscience by Michael A. Cavanaugh. Dissertation (Ph.D.), University of Pittsburgh. 398 p.

1982

  • The American Scientific Affiliation and the Creation Research Society : The Creation-Evolution Issue by William C. Duke, Jr. Dissertation (Ph.D.), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 218 p.
  • Norma and Mel Gabler: The Development and Causes of Their Involvement Concerning the Curricular Appropriateness of School Textbook Content by Frank Edward Piasecki. Ph.D., College of Education, North Texas State University. 477 p.
    The problem of this study was to trace through available sources the history of Norma and Mel Gablers' work concerning the curricular appropriateness of textbooks and interpret in terms of motivation, scope, and effectiveness the identified impact of their work. The purpose of this study was to present a comprehensive report documenting specifically that which the Gablers have done, said, and represent. A chronology of events of the Gablers' textbook involvement from 1961 through 1981 has been recorded. Material written and/or distributed by the Gablers through their organization, Educational Research Analysts, has been reviewed and summarized with extensive documentation to convey the philosophy and intentions of the Gablers since their work in this area began. Specific passages of textbook content petitioned against by Norma Gabler before the Texas State Textbook Adoption Committee have been presented as organized around the Gabler outline, "Textbook Reviewing by Categories." Media presentations featuring the Gablers have been reviewed for the purpose of informing others about what types of information have been presented to the American public about this issue and to offer a glimpse into the human nature characteristics of the Gablers as personalities. Professional educator reaction into this probe of textbook content is offered to relate the numerous concerns expressed about the monitoring of educational materials. Finally, an analysis of the Gablers' efforts and identified observations as to their effectiveness and influence have been recorded conveying the extent and success of the Gabler involvement as it pertains to textbook content.
  • A Study of Major Court Cases and the Implications for Teaching the Origin of Man, 1925-1982 by Luanne Sparks. Dissertation (Ph.D.), East Texas State University. 155 p.

1980

  • Presbyterian Attitudes Toward Science and the Coming of Darwinism in America, 1859 to 1929 by Dennis Royal Davis. Dissertation (Ph.D.), Department of History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 444 p.
    The Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. served as a weather vane for the American Protestant reaction to developments in science following the appearance of Darwin's Origin of Species. The reaction to Darwin, of course, was varied and historians continue to examine the effects of the Darwinian Revolution. Accordingly an analysis of the Presbyterian response to developments in science,especially evolution,serves as an excellent indicator of the width and breadth of the response.

Additional Theses and Dissertations

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