Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Legal scholar Richard Katskee explores why religious fundamentalists in America have long opposed the teaching of evolution, from the days of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial to modern court battles. In this talk from the Scopes Trial Centennial Conference, Katskee—former legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State—traces the history of Christian fundamentalism, biblical literalism, and the persistent efforts to undermine science-based education. Drawing on landmark legal cases, including his own work on Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, he shows how the fight over evolution has been waged not just in classrooms, but in the courts.
Legal scholar Richard Katskee explores why religious fundamentalists in America have long opposed the teaching of evolution, from the days of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial to modern court battles. In this talk from the Scopes Trial Centennial Conference, Katskee—former legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State—traces the history of Christian fundamentalism, biblical literalism, and the persistent efforts to undermine science-based education. Drawing on landmark legal cases, including his own work on Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, he shows how the fight over evolution has been waged not just in classrooms, but in the courts.
