Understanding the Significance of Creationism: Historical and Cultural Perspectives - A Symposium

Authors

Stanley L. WeinbergFollow

Document Type

General Interest Article

Abstract

This symposium consists of the published versions of papers that were presented in the course of a conference on the significance of creationism, held as part of the 93rd session of the Iowa Academy of Science. The session had its venue at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April, 1981. The time and place of the symposium are significant.

Iowa has been the focus-for reasons that are unclear-of a major effort of the creationist movement to install its doctrines in the state's public schools.' Since 1977, eight creationist bills have been introduced in the Iowa legislature; none has passed. Efforts-some successful, others unsuccessful-have also been made formally and informally by groups of local citizens, in some cases assisted by out-of-state creationist missionaries, to introduce creationism into particular school systems.

Over the years these activities have provoked a great deal of concern and discussion. The discussions have taken place in the legislature and its committees, on college and university campuses, in churches, in schools, in teachers' meetings, in public meetings, in the newspapers, over the air, and informally in private homes and local gatherings. The symposium was a response to the feeling among Iowa academics that the Academy, as a responsible, locally-based learned society, should take some formal cognizance of the widespread public concern (whether oriented toward creationism or toward evolution) over creationism as a social force in the state of Iowa.

Publication Date

June 1982

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

89

Issue

2

First Page

45

Last Page

45

Copyright

©1982 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Weinberg, Stanley L. (1982) "Understanding the Significance of Creationism: Historical and Cultural Perspectives - A Symposium," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 89(2), 45-45.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol89/iss2/3