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Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context
Righting America at the Creation Museum
On May 28, 2007, the Creation Museum opened in Petersburg, Kentucky. Aimed at scientifically demonstrating that the universe was created less than ten thousand years ago by a Judeo-Christian god, the museum is hugely popular, attracting millions of visitors over the past eight years. Surrounded by themed topiary gardens and a petting zoo with camel rides, the site conjures up images of a religious Disneyland. Inside, visitors are met by dinosaurs at every turn and by a replica of the Garden of Eden that features the Tree of Life, the serpent, and Adam and Eve.
In Righting America at the Creation Museum, Susan L. Trollinger and William Vance Trollinger, Jr., take readers on a fascinating tour of the museum. The Trollingers vividly describe and analyze its vast array of exhibits, placards, dioramas, and videos, from the Culture in Crisis Room, where videos depict sinful characters watching pornography or considering abortion, to the Natural Selection Room, where placards argue that natural selection doesn't lead to evolution. The book also traces the rise of creationism and the history of fundamentalism in America.
This compelling book reveals that the Creation Museum is a remarkably complex phenomenon, at once a "natural history" museum at odds with contemporary science, an extended brief for the Bible as the literally true and errorless word of God, and a powerful and unflinching argument on behalf of the Christian right.
In Righting America at the Creation Museum, Susan L. Trollinger and William Vance Trollinger, Jr., take readers on a fascinating tour of the museum. The Trollingers vividly describe and analyze its vast array of exhibits, placards, dioramas, and videos, from the Culture in Crisis Room, where videos depict sinful characters watching pornography or considering abortion, to the Natural Selection Room, where placards argue that natural selection doesn't lead to evolution. The book also traces the rise of creationism and the history of fundamentalism in America.
This compelling book reveals that the Creation Museum is a remarkably complex phenomenon, at once a "natural history" museum at odds with contemporary science, an extended brief for the Bible as the literally true and errorless word of God, and a powerful and unflinching argument on behalf of the Christian right.
344 pages, Hardcover
Published May 15, 2016
4 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 3, 2025
An eminently readable cultural and rhetorical analysis of AiG's flagship Creation Museum. The authors do well at taking the organization seriously on its own terms while demonstrating how frequently it defeats itself with its own logic. I haven't been to the museum yet (despite having contributed to its existence to the tune of a $20ish donation sent in a fit of teenage religious zeal during its startup phase), but the book confirmed my sense that it is a house of cards built on faulty (if not duplicitous) hermeneutics, bad faith rhetorical moves, and a whole lot of dazzle and bluster. Now I want to visit even more.
The authors are quite evenhanded, even charitable, and only occasionally indulge the mildest form of snark, but they do at times overplay their hand in a way that comes off as pedantic (they are professors, after all).
The authors are quite evenhanded, even charitable, and only occasionally indulge the mildest form of snark, but they do at times overplay their hand in a way that comes off as pedantic (they are professors, after all).
February 13, 2021
I think it was Christopher Hitchens (god rest his soul) who when debating an evangelist insistent that then president George W. Bush was speaking directly to God as he had claimed, expressed his incredulity. He made the analogy that when people think their hairdryer is speaking to them, we put them in an institution, but when people think they can hear God speaking to them, we celebrate their faith.
The people behind the Creation Museum in Kentucky are listening to their hairdryers.
This book details the history behind the museum’s inception as well as the people behind it.
In short, the museum is the brainchild of Aussie Ken Ham and his group Answers In Genesis (AiG)
Ham not only believes in the inerrancy of the Bible as the literal word of God, (Noah’s Ark, the earth was created in literally 6 days, humans walked with dinosaurs, the earth is 6000 years old...) he also believes that anyone who thinks otherwise, Christians included, are an existential threat to Christianity and America.
The museum is an extension of his beliefs and an attempt to spread them to a wider audience. (In 2016 he also opened the Ark Discovery Park which features a 150 meter long replica of Noah’s ark about 50 miles from the museum.
More dangerous than simply spouting clear nonsense is that Ham and AiG attempt to cloak their extremism in science. More accurately, they attempt to drag down science into something they call “historical science”. This is according to them science that is not observable because it is in the past and is not possible to repeat in the present. Fossil dating or evolution of species being their most prominent examples. Having established that, they go on to argue that everything that cannot be observed in the present is speculation and therefore Creationism and Evolutionism are simply two theories to debate on equal merit.
The author walks through each museum exhibit and more or less objectively determines whether the museum in fact does have any scientific basis to back up its claims for Creationism.
Honestly, with some notable exceptions (the theory that the animals of Noah’s Ark repopulated the earth by floating on felled “tree rafts” that took them to all corners of the globe being one) the author avoids being glib, smug or judgemental about what she sees. She genuinely makes an effort to, using Ham’s own criteria, determine whether the museum relies on science.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, it does not.
There are token nods to allowing that evolution is a legitimate theory to be studied alongside creationism but the overarching theme of the museum is that all science must conform to the Bible. Not the other way around. Essentially the museum starts with the premise that the Bible is the literal word of God and either ignores or changes anything in conflict with it to fit this worldview.
It’s quite a fascinating book. Not only for background on Ham and his movement, but also on how museums interpret history and gently push the observer to see that history in the way the museum intends via walking paths, displays, lighting and other methods.
It is easy perhaps to write off Ham and his acolytes as a fringe group of nutcases, outside even evangelical fundamentalists, many of whom had at the very least made peace with the idea that the earth is not 6000 years old or that the Bible is not always to be taken literally.
It would be a mistake however. The author chronicles In the final chapters the growing power of AiG through not only the millions that have visited the Museum and the Ark, but through their speaking engagements at churches and universities, as well as their publishing empire. They have amassed real power that threatens to first undermine more moderate and sensible Christians and eventually nonbelievers as well.
Ham’s worldview is not the brotherhood of love that most Christians espouse. It is a worldview of darkness where there is God’s literal word or evil. There is no in between or room for moderation. Or to use Ham’s analogy of Noah’s Ark, once God shut the door, everyone outside was doomed. There is no forgiveness or second chances for Ham. It is a view that flies in the face of what Christianity has for centuries taught and we dismiss him and his followers at our own peril.
The people behind the Creation Museum in Kentucky are listening to their hairdryers.
This book details the history behind the museum’s inception as well as the people behind it.
In short, the museum is the brainchild of Aussie Ken Ham and his group Answers In Genesis (AiG)
Ham not only believes in the inerrancy of the Bible as the literal word of God, (Noah’s Ark, the earth was created in literally 6 days, humans walked with dinosaurs, the earth is 6000 years old...) he also believes that anyone who thinks otherwise, Christians included, are an existential threat to Christianity and America.
The museum is an extension of his beliefs and an attempt to spread them to a wider audience. (In 2016 he also opened the Ark Discovery Park which features a 150 meter long replica of Noah’s ark about 50 miles from the museum.
More dangerous than simply spouting clear nonsense is that Ham and AiG attempt to cloak their extremism in science. More accurately, they attempt to drag down science into something they call “historical science”. This is according to them science that is not observable because it is in the past and is not possible to repeat in the present. Fossil dating or evolution of species being their most prominent examples. Having established that, they go on to argue that everything that cannot be observed in the present is speculation and therefore Creationism and Evolutionism are simply two theories to debate on equal merit.
The author walks through each museum exhibit and more or less objectively determines whether the museum in fact does have any scientific basis to back up its claims for Creationism.
Honestly, with some notable exceptions (the theory that the animals of Noah’s Ark repopulated the earth by floating on felled “tree rafts” that took them to all corners of the globe being one) the author avoids being glib, smug or judgemental about what she sees. She genuinely makes an effort to, using Ham’s own criteria, determine whether the museum relies on science.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, it does not.
There are token nods to allowing that evolution is a legitimate theory to be studied alongside creationism but the overarching theme of the museum is that all science must conform to the Bible. Not the other way around. Essentially the museum starts with the premise that the Bible is the literal word of God and either ignores or changes anything in conflict with it to fit this worldview.
It’s quite a fascinating book. Not only for background on Ham and his movement, but also on how museums interpret history and gently push the observer to see that history in the way the museum intends via walking paths, displays, lighting and other methods.
It is easy perhaps to write off Ham and his acolytes as a fringe group of nutcases, outside even evangelical fundamentalists, many of whom had at the very least made peace with the idea that the earth is not 6000 years old or that the Bible is not always to be taken literally.
It would be a mistake however. The author chronicles In the final chapters the growing power of AiG through not only the millions that have visited the Museum and the Ark, but through their speaking engagements at churches and universities, as well as their publishing empire. They have amassed real power that threatens to first undermine more moderate and sensible Christians and eventually nonbelievers as well.
Ham’s worldview is not the brotherhood of love that most Christians espouse. It is a worldview of darkness where there is God’s literal word or evil. There is no in between or room for moderation. Or to use Ham’s analogy of Noah’s Ark, once God shut the door, everyone outside was doomed. There is no forgiveness or second chances for Ham. It is a view that flies in the face of what Christianity has for centuries taught and we dismiss him and his followers at our own peril.
March 11, 2017
The Trollingers take their subject at hand seriously. After visiting the Creation Museum several times, thoroughly examining their literature (journals and elementary education pamphlets), discovering influential individuals' histories, they spend several chapters simply laying out a comprehensive picture of the Creation Museum. They compare it to evolutionary natural history museums, then compare the museum with their own stated goals. The whole book is thoughtful, does not come to conclusions easily, and is respectful of the whole evolutionary/creation debate throughout. Highly recommended.
January 7, 2018
Very interesting study of the Creation Museum. In essence, the authors argue that the museum is a site in the ongoing culture wars in the United States, drawing both on "creation science" and the techniques of traditional natural history museums to advance a political and religious agenda. The book is best when discussing the Creation Museum within the long history of American museums, but it does leave a lot of questions unanswered. An important study nonetheless, and relevant to my dissertation work on sites of commemoration created by Protestant Christian communities in the US.
January 28, 2018
If you want a scary read, this is it! St George and Beowulf even get their day at the Creation Museum as evidence that humans and dinosaurs (dragons), aka "missionary lizards", co-existed. The Piasa bird gets a place too. What a problem for both science and museums. Big Sigh ...
July 19, 2016
This excellent book provides insight into fundamentalism, creationism and Ken Hamm's "Answers In Genesis" organization. The book describes in detail the contents and informational structure of the Creation Museum and examines both the museum itself and the arguments presented within. The book presents analysis of the space as a museum, the arguments as they pertain to science and the Bible, and the overall movements of fundamentalism and creationism as they impact America's political landscape.
This is an incredibly informative read for anyone curious about fundamentalist Christianity and the baffling arguments of young Earth creationists. I'm incredibly proud that the book's two authors are faculty of my alma mater, the University of Dayton!
This is an incredibly informative read for anyone curious about fundamentalist Christianity and the baffling arguments of young Earth creationists. I'm incredibly proud that the book's two authors are faculty of my alma mater, the University of Dayton!
February 20, 2018
Concise "from phone" review: Interesting premise, obviously well-researched. A good introduction to museum studies and accessibly written - a good academic crossover book, also appropriate for undergrads. A gripe: some chapters are distinctly better than others - better organized, more clearly written, etc. not bad overall though; very readable.
December 29, 2017
This is definitely the most well-researched book I've ever read. The authors left no stone unturned. As a former evangelical, I can also attest to the accuracy of their assessments. This is a great book for anyone with an academic or simply curious interest in the Religious Right.
May 31, 2019
A close examination of the contents of the Creation Museum and its clever pseudoscience. Highly recommend for an academic or reader interested in better understanding the purpose and contents of the museum and its mission.
June 16, 2019
I found many fascinating tidbits of information throughout this book, but the writing was pretty dry.
March 7, 2019
I watched the Ken Ham vs. Bill Nye/creationism vs. science debate of 2014 with great interest, and I’m still very interested in the subject. I also have a degree in public history and museum studies. I have no intention of visiting the Creation Museum, but I’ve been very curious about what it’s like and what goes on there, so I was thrilled to hear about this book. As a substitute for actually visiting the museum, this is perfect. It walks you through the museum and then breaks down the museum’s messages on science, the bible, politics, and apocalyptic judgment. It sounds like a cacophony of sound and imagery and text in there, so I’m grateful to the authors for documenting and analyzing it this way.
It sounds like I haven’t missed much; one of the really interesting questions early in the book is whether or not the Creation Museum counts as a museum at all, especially as a natural history museum. Speaking as a professional, it sounds to me like they’re conflating “real museum” with “good, professional museum,” and I’m here to tell you that an awful lot of museums are just not very good. Being bad — badly researched, badly intended, badly executed, or whatever — doesn’t mean it’s not a museum. What’s interesting, and what they address in brief, is the question of what exactly it’s a museum of. Almost everything they display is a replica or an animatronic. So, theoretically, you’re there for the experience, not to see any particular thing. If I go to a museum that’s all replicas, I feel like I’ve wasted my time. I have the internet to see pictures.
But I digress. The rest of the book breaks down the museum’s messages, usually by first asking what the museum intends to do, and then seeing if they’re actually doing it. They look at statements from the museum’s masterminds and representatives about what’s going on, say, their concept of science or their Biblical intentions, and then look at the museum in detail. Some areas claim to be about science, a whole room on “flood geology” for instance, but only small percentages of the text panels address science as Answers in Genesis defines it, let alone as everyone else conceptualizes it. Theoretical models, for instance, don’t count as science according to Ken Ham and others, but many of the panels in the flood room deal with different models of how the worldwide flood could have potentially affected geology.
I won’t get into the Bible stuff, except to share my favorite quote from the book: "What is interesting about Ham’s claim that the Bible is perspicuous, clear enough for anyone to read and understand without the assistance of experts, is that the Creation Museum is a $27 million dollar edifice that goes to great lengths to instruct visitors on how they should understand Genesis 1-11." (page 134)
There’s a lot more detail about their actual arguments and their theological origins, as well as their points of divergence, for those who are interested. I will warn, there can be a pitfall for those of us who are former Christians in that throughout the book, the authors present extended statements and arguments from the Creation Museum and its representatives without regular reminders that these are someone else’s opinions, not the viewpoint of the authors. So I recommend not reading it with a lot of distractions, because I still remember having to put myself in the mindset of “everything I’m hearing right now is true and I have to make myself believe it” when listening to people like Ken Ham, and if you’re distracted or skimming a lot, sometimes that mindset tries to come back, and even if you don’t have that problem it can be hard to track the argument if you’re skimming a lot.
The authors are a rhetorician and historian, so they’re the right people to do this book. The one thing I’d really have liked more information about is their personal visits to the museum, their note-taking methods, if anyone ever asked them what they were doing, and stuff like that, but since that’s just my nosy curiosity I understand why it wasn’t included. (Also, the book was published before the Ark Encounter got off the ground, so there’s only a reference to it in the epilogue. And I wondered if Ham or Answers in Genesis had ever responded to this book, but from what I can tell they haven’t.)
Righting America comes from an academic publisher, so not many people will hear about it, but it’s perfectly accessible to a general audience, so I wanted to give it a boost in case any of you are curious! There’s also a RACM website with a blog for ongoing updates, although it doesn’t seem to have subject tags so it’s not super easy to use.
It sounds like I haven’t missed much; one of the really interesting questions early in the book is whether or not the Creation Museum counts as a museum at all, especially as a natural history museum. Speaking as a professional, it sounds to me like they’re conflating “real museum” with “good, professional museum,” and I’m here to tell you that an awful lot of museums are just not very good. Being bad — badly researched, badly intended, badly executed, or whatever — doesn’t mean it’s not a museum. What’s interesting, and what they address in brief, is the question of what exactly it’s a museum of. Almost everything they display is a replica or an animatronic. So, theoretically, you’re there for the experience, not to see any particular thing. If I go to a museum that’s all replicas, I feel like I’ve wasted my time. I have the internet to see pictures.
But I digress. The rest of the book breaks down the museum’s messages, usually by first asking what the museum intends to do, and then seeing if they’re actually doing it. They look at statements from the museum’s masterminds and representatives about what’s going on, say, their concept of science or their Biblical intentions, and then look at the museum in detail. Some areas claim to be about science, a whole room on “flood geology” for instance, but only small percentages of the text panels address science as Answers in Genesis defines it, let alone as everyone else conceptualizes it. Theoretical models, for instance, don’t count as science according to Ken Ham and others, but many of the panels in the flood room deal with different models of how the worldwide flood could have potentially affected geology.
I won’t get into the Bible stuff, except to share my favorite quote from the book: "What is interesting about Ham’s claim that the Bible is perspicuous, clear enough for anyone to read and understand without the assistance of experts, is that the Creation Museum is a $27 million dollar edifice that goes to great lengths to instruct visitors on how they should understand Genesis 1-11." (page 134)
There’s a lot more detail about their actual arguments and their theological origins, as well as their points of divergence, for those who are interested. I will warn, there can be a pitfall for those of us who are former Christians in that throughout the book, the authors present extended statements and arguments from the Creation Museum and its representatives without regular reminders that these are someone else’s opinions, not the viewpoint of the authors. So I recommend not reading it with a lot of distractions, because I still remember having to put myself in the mindset of “everything I’m hearing right now is true and I have to make myself believe it” when listening to people like Ken Ham, and if you’re distracted or skimming a lot, sometimes that mindset tries to come back, and even if you don’t have that problem it can be hard to track the argument if you’re skimming a lot.
The authors are a rhetorician and historian, so they’re the right people to do this book. The one thing I’d really have liked more information about is their personal visits to the museum, their note-taking methods, if anyone ever asked them what they were doing, and stuff like that, but since that’s just my nosy curiosity I understand why it wasn’t included. (Also, the book was published before the Ark Encounter got off the ground, so there’s only a reference to it in the epilogue. And I wondered if Ham or Answers in Genesis had ever responded to this book, but from what I can tell they haven’t.)
Righting America comes from an academic publisher, so not many people will hear about it, but it’s perfectly accessible to a general audience, so I wanted to give it a boost in case any of you are curious! There’s also a RACM website with a blog for ongoing updates, although it doesn’t seem to have subject tags so it’s not super easy to use.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews