I may be wrong here, but didn't creationism exist prior to the establishment of evolutionary theory as a part of science? I was under the impression that for a few thousand years human beings had followed the doctrines of one church another, never questioning the veracity of the claims of religious "experts". It was only when evolutionary theory became an established part of science that laypersons really took up arms in understanding their own beliefs about biology. It was only when laypeople rejected the authority of witchdoctors and actually started to question things for themselves that the "controversy" began.
nah this is revisionism creationists are trying to claim as history, many church fathers didn't believe any of the things creationists believe now. augustine thought to take the bible as 100% fact is denying the world around us and not using our own minds
most people before the 20th century may have thought somethings had happend like the gospels, but not genesis or the flood
what really makes evolution popular i guess is it gives you another answer to the questions being asked, and more answers to questions the religlions can't answer
For creationists to pretend that they are the new kid on the block, fighting against an authoritarian structure of knowledge in the form of "Darwinism", is to read history upside down.
well the idea of god creating the earth is pretty old, but its nothing remotly like what we have now on the board.