Do Church Leaders Support Scripture or Science? | Church History Matters I Science & Religion Series
Church History Matters | Episode 6 | 84 min
0:00 Intro - Recapping past episodes
7:39 Evolution conclusions from last episode
14:05 Scopes Monkey Trial
22:48 Fundamentalists vs modernists
28:36 Story of evolution in the church - Documents
33:57 Elders James E. Talmage and John A. Widtsoe’s influence
38:01 BYU 1911 evolution conflict
47:01 Church hires scientists - Elder Frederick J. Pack
52:31 Scopes trial & church 1925 statement
1:00:47 B. H. Roberts, Joseph Fielding Smith & James E. Talmage 1930 debates
1:08:36 Aftermath of the debates
1:15:25 Elder Talmage’s beliefs on evolution
1:19:14 Split beliefs in the church & future episode plans
In this episode, Scott Woodward and Casey Griffiths explore one of the most enduring questions in the science-and-faith conversation: how should religious believers approach evolution? Using the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial as a historical touchpoint, they unpack how the early 20th-century clash between fundamentalist and modernist perspectives shaped the broader American debate over science and the Bible. They explain what those two models mean—fundamentalism emphasizing strict, literal readings of scripture, and modernism seeking to reconcile faith with emerging scientific knowledge—and how these frameworks still influence discussions today.
The hosts then bring the conversation into a Latter-day Saint context, tracing how members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have wrestled with evolution over time. Rather than framing the issue as a simple conflict, they highlight the diversity of views within the LDS tradition and the Church’s general focus on spiritual truths over scientific declarations. The result is a thoughtful, historically grounded discussion that invites viewers to think deeply about how faith and science can interact, coexist, and even enrich one another.
Transcript/Show Notes:
https://scripturecentral.org/shows/church-history-matters/episodes/do-church-leaders-support-scripture-or-science-church-history-matters-i-science-and-religion-series
7:39 Evolution conclusions from last episode
14:05 Scopes Monkey Trial
22:48 Fundamentalists vs modernists
28:36 Story of evolution in the church - Documents
33:57 Elders James E. Talmage and John A. Widtsoe’s influence
38:01 BYU 1911 evolution conflict
47:01 Church hires scientists - Elder Frederick J. Pack
52:31 Scopes trial & church 1925 statement
1:00:47 B. H. Roberts, Joseph Fielding Smith & James E. Talmage 1930 debates
1:08:36 Aftermath of the debates
1:15:25 Elder Talmage’s beliefs on evolution
1:19:14 Split beliefs in the church & future episode plans
In this episode, Scott Woodward and Casey Griffiths explore one of the most enduring questions in the science-and-faith conversation: how should religious believers approach evolution? Using the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial as a historical touchpoint, they unpack how the early 20th-century clash between fundamentalist and modernist perspectives shaped the broader American debate over science and the Bible. They explain what those two models mean—fundamentalism emphasizing strict, literal readings of scripture, and modernism seeking to reconcile faith with emerging scientific knowledge—and how these frameworks still influence discussions today.
The hosts then bring the conversation into a Latter-day Saint context, tracing how members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have wrestled with evolution over time. Rather than framing the issue as a simple conflict, they highlight the diversity of views within the LDS tradition and the Church’s general focus on spiritual truths over scientific declarations. The result is a thoughtful, historically grounded discussion that invites viewers to think deeply about how faith and science can interact, coexist, and even enrich one another.
Transcript/Show Notes:
https://scripturecentral.org/shows/church-history-matters/episodes/do-church-leaders-support-scripture-or-science-church-history-matters-i-science-and-religion-series