| I figured out the difference between Europe and America. I mentioned that mainstream churches had made their peace with evolution, and were not inclined to strict literalism in Biblical interpretation. Well, in Europe, most Christians belong to whatever is the established church in their country, be it Catholic, Lutheran, or Calvinist (primarily), and therefore are not strict literalists or creationists. There are comparatively few sectarians. But the United States was a haven for non- conformists, many of whom insisted upon strict literalism. By about 1900, this had been codified in the tenets of Fundamentalism, which became an active movement in American intellectual life, and often formed the basis of revivalist movements, thus associating fundamentalism with religious fervor, in contrast to the "high and dry" denominations, and making it more appealing to some....... |
