Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Stephen Ujlaki and Chris Jones. The film explores the rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States and its opposition to American democracy, and the historic role of Christian nationalists in the conservative movement, beginning with Paul Weyrich and Jerry Falwell in the Moral Majority, and Weyrich's creation of the secretive Council for National Policy. They opposed secular and democratic institutions, supported using government to promote Christianity, and much later, their political influence led to the support for the candidacy of Donald Trump, the subsequent January 6 United States Capitol attack, and the policy blueprints for Project 2025.[1]
| Bad Faith | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Stephen Ujlaki and Chris Jones |
| Written by | Alec Baer; Christopher Jacob Jones; Stephen Ujlaki |
| Produced by | Stephen Ujlaki |
| Starring |
|
| Narrated by | Peter Coyote |
| Cinematography | Pilar Timpane; Billy Yates |
Production companies | Heretical Reason Productions Panarea Productions |
| Distributed by | Film Sales Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Background
editIn an interview with The Guardian, Co-director Stephen Ujlaki noted that many Americans are not aware of the problem of Christian nationalism and its direct, historical relationship with the January 6 United States Capitol attack. "I think a lot of Americans have a very difficult time accepting and understanding the fact that such treason, such anti-democratic activity, could be carried out by people who basically look like Sunday school teachers", he said. "Little would you know that when they talk about recreating the kingdom of God on earth, they weren't talking about something spiritual. They were talking about demolishing democracy so that God, ie themselves, could rule. And for that reason, I call it a conspiracy carried out in broad daylight."[2] Ujlaki is a professor of screenwriting and former dean of the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University, a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California.[3]
Major aspects of the film are based upon the book Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right (2019) by journalist Anne Nelson. The title of the film is adapted from the book Bad Faith by historian of religion Randall Balmer.[4]
Interviewees
editPeople that are interviewed in the film include national security expert Elizabeth Neumann, formerly with the Trump administration; journalist Katherine Stewart; sociologist Samuel L. Perry; theologian Russell D. Moore; minister William Barber II; historian Linda Gordon; theologian Jim Wallis; Christian writer Lisa Sharon Harper; and Christian writer Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.[5]
Release
editThe film held its premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 11, 2024, along with a Q&A panel.[6] The film was also shown at New York's Cinema Village. The theatrical release took place in Los Angeles on March 29, and began streaming on April 26.[7]
Reception
editOwen Gleiberman of Variety reviewed the film positively, opining that it was one of the "scariest" films he has seen in recent years. Gleiberman acknowledged that the film made a "powerful case" demonstrating that Christian nationalism is constructed on false premises. "It's true to say that the Founders drew on the moral traditions of Judeo-Christian culture", Gleiberman writes. "Yet the freedom of religion in the First Amendment was put there precisely as a guard against religious tyranny. It was, at the time, a radical idea: that the people would determine how — and what God — they wanted to worship. In truth, Christian Nationalism undermines not only the freedoms enshrined by the Constitution but the very concept of free will that's at the heart of Christian theology. You can't choose to be a follower of Christ if that belief is imposed on you."[1] Writing for The Humanist, David Reinbold gave the film a positive review calling it "simultaneously informative, sobering, chilling, frightening, but always with vestiges of hope". Reinbold notes that the filmmakers set out to both educate the audience and persuade them to register to vote.[8] Jared Stacy of Premier Christianity also reviewed the film positively, noting that the film effectively shows how democracy in the United States is threatened by "moral hypocrisy and political idolatry within the evangelical faith". Stacy writes that at times, the film is "sensational and conspiratorial", but concludes that "it does provide a glimpse of how the evangelical faith justifies the corrupting pursuit of political power".[9] Jerry Newcombe of The Christian Post reviewed the film negatively, defending Christian nationalism as a legitimate movement, and dismissing the film as a "propaganda" effort by the "left". [10]
References
edit- ^ a b Gleiberman, Owen (April 2, 2024). "'Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy' Review: A Scary Look at the Potential Soldiers of a Second Trump Reign". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- Hayssen, Sophie (May 29, 20240). "A New Documentary Goes Behind the Scenes of Christian Nationalism". Mother Jones. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (April 27, 2024). "'Demolishing democracy': how much danger does Christian nationalism pose?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Gagliardi, Ali (January 30, 2024). "The danger of 'Bad Faith' in American politics". The Los Angeles Loyolan. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Ujlaki, Stephen; Chris Jones (co-directors) (2024). Bad Faith (motion picture). United States. Event occurs at 1:27:17. Quote: "Key elements of the film are based on the research in Anne Nelson's "Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right", 2019, by Bloomsbury Publishing...The title of the film is used with the gracious permission of Randall Balmer, the author of "Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right" 2021 by Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company. The title design is based on the cover of the same book."
- ^ "Books" Quote: "A further reading list of sources that have informed the film." Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Blueskye, Brian (January 12, 2024). "Documentary 'Bad Faith' gives powerful look at the rise of 'Christian nationalism'". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Purushothaman, Kamini (April 12, 2024). "Bad Faith screened at theology conference". Yale Daily News. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Reinbold, David (April 25, 2024). "Movie Review: New Documentary, Bad Faith, Shines a Sobering Light on the Foundations, Dangers of Christian Nationalism". The Humanist. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Stacy, Jared (May 2024). "Bad Faith is a must-watch for all who care about the US Church". Premier Christianity. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Newcombe, Jerry (June 7, 2024). "Why 'bad faith' is a bad movie". The Christian Post. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
