Genes and Jesus: The American Eugenics Society's 1926 Sermon Contest

Author: Matthew Newman

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Will Glovinsky

Easel: 78

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Beginning in the late 19th century, the eugenics movement in America and Britain exploded in popularity, with membership to eugenics focused journals and newsletters rapidly increasing. While eugenics presented itself as a science, leading eugenicists also cooperated with Christian leaders and employed religious rhetoric to spread their message. This is exemplified by a 1926 eugenics sermon contest run by the American Eugenics Society, in which religious leaders explained the relation of eugenics to Christianity and exhorted churchgoers to pursue eugenic goals. Claims such as “the New Testament is one of the best of Eugenics text-books”, suggested that Christians in support of eugenics viewed the movement as an extension of their religious beliefs. This paper seeks to frame the relationship between Christianity and eugenics not as merely a collaboration between religion and science, as some historians today argue, but as a merging of the two into a distinct, religious movement.