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Bryan's reputation eventually slipped, and he earned an unfair fundamentalist label from writers such as H. L. Mencken for his leading role in the Scopes trial. Kazin argues that Bryan cared much less for theology than for Christianity's moral implications in politics. Kazin says Bryan "burned only and always to see religion heal the world."

So why did Bryan enthusiastically join the Scopes prosecution? Kazin concludes that Bryan worried Darwinism would cripple the moral foundation for his policies. Indeed, Bryan assumed his populism called America to its pious best self—a nation of Christians should care for the poor and working classes. But this might be where Kazin's expertise misleads him.

Kazin need not view Bryan's concern about evolution—and liberal theology—mainly through an economic lens. Bryan could not have been so little concerned for Scripture itself, as theological drift also led Bryan to run for moderator of the Presbyterian Church (today's PCUSA). He lost.

Bryan, a congressman from Nebraska, hardly saw a lost cause he didn't join. Then again, on some issues, he was just ahead of his time. Typical of a hopeless romantic, Bryan said, "The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error."

Maybe so, but that citizen cannot protect subsequent generations from smearing his legacy. Kazin's book just may start to reverse that.

Collin Hansen is a CT associate editor.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A Godly Hero is available from Amazon.com and other book retailers.

Hansen also reviewed the book for Christian History & Biography, which also has a short profile of Bryan.

For book lovers, our 2006 CT book awards are available online, along with our book awards for 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997, as well as our Books of the Twentieth Century. For other coverage or reviews, see our Books archive and the weekly Books & Culture Corner.

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June 2006, Vol. 50, No. 6