Gathering Intelligence on Intelligent Design: Where Did It Come From, Where Is It Going, and How Should Progressives Manage It?

This article analyzes the newest front in the creationist battle: intelligent design. I demonstrate how reactions to this challenge can be productively examined using social movements concepts in the area of repression, or protest control, arguing that vigorous repression of challenger demands often leads to a growing sense of solidarity and moral obligation among challenging groups like creationists. Following this discussion of movement dynamics, I explore the question of how students might actually be affected if intelligent design were to be minimally incorporated into school curricula in an era when science has enormous cultural authority. I conclude with four prescriptive proposals that progressives might consider for responding to future creationist challenges.