Bad Faith docu

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wiki 8 25

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.^[2]

The film was conceived by Ujlaki after Trump won the 2016 election, forcing him to reconsider his knowledge about the election and to research the reasons that led supporters to vote for Trump. The documentary is based on a number of popular books about Christian nationalism, with the film heavily relying on the book Shadow Network (2019) by journalist Anne Nelson, and taking its title from the book Bad Faith (2021) by historian of religion Randall Balmer. The film was shot in 25 locations around the United States and Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took several years to edit and complete. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with critics noting its educational value and its success at communicating its central thesis about the dangers of weakening the separation of church and state.

Background

Co-director Stephen 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] The idea for the documentary came to him after Donald Trump won the 2016 United States presidential election and he found himself in a state of disbelief. Ujlaki realized that he was caught in a filter bubble, so he set out to learn as much as he could about the people who voted for Trump, focusing on the evangelical community, and reading many books on the subject and conducting interviews with key players. Out of his own personal research, the documentary eventually emerged.^[4] 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 (2021) by historian of religion Randall Balmer.^[5]

Synopsis

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) desegregated public schools, but it was opposed by the Southern United States, particularly by some Christian religious groups who continued to practice segregation in religious schools well into the 1970s. Conventional wisdom suggests that concern about abortion led to the creation of the politically-motivated religious right in America in the 1970s, but many historians and journalists believe this is a myth. Instead, Green v. Connally (1971) may have been the true catalyst for the formation of the religious right as a political force, as the court in that case decided that any organization that operates a private school that discriminates based on race is not eligible for tax-exempt status.

When Roe v. Wade (1973) was decided, most non-Catholic, Christian evangelicals did not express opposition to abortion; it did not become a real issue for evangelicals until the late 1970s and early 1980s, many years after Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, with little public opposition in the Christian community. The film suggests that Paul Weyrich, a Republican political operative and Christian nationalist, galvanized the religious pro-segregationists and redirected their anger towards the federal government to create a Trojan horse, a new voting bloc to help the GOP win elections with the intention to subvert democracy and promote theocracy under the guise of concern about abortion. Towards this end, Weyrich and Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority and helped form a new political network, leading to the election of Ronald Reagan.

Weyrich also reached across the aisle to harness and create a coalition with oil billionaires, who were not necessarily religious, but who wanted the shared benefits of lower taxes and less regulation, thereby helping to fund the Heritage Foundation, American Legislative Exchange Council, and the secretive Council for National Policy. Combined, these groups waged a long-term culture war against the United States, culminating in the weakening of democratic norms and institutions, the election of Donald Trump, the undermining of democratic elections with the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and the policy blueprints for Project 2025, which would fulfill Weyrich's 40-year goals, as expressed in his original manifesto: "Our strategy will be to bleed this culture dry...Make no mistake about it: We are talking about Christianizing America...We will weaken and destroy the existing institutions."^[2]

Production

Filming began during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with shooting taking place in 25 locations across the country (as well as in Australia) with the help of local contractors.^[6] Location shooting included: Los Angeles, California; Norman, Oklahoma; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York, New York; Lenoir City and Nashville, Tennessee; Santa Fe, New Mexico, Park City, Utah; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Amarillo, Texas, Washington, D.C.; Durham, North Carolina; and Melbourne, Australia.^[7] The team spent several years editing the footage. Franklin Graham refused to allow the crews access, while Ken Peters of Patriot Church in Tennessee was more than happy to let them film. Ujlaki recalls: "I think that Pastor Ken...felt that all publicity is good publicity. He was very proud of what he was doing. He was absolutely confident that he was getting the word out. He was using us; I think that was his feeling. And he was always being very solicitous to make sure that we got what we needed."^[6]

Interviewees

People that are interviewed in the film include national security expert Elizabeth Neumann, formerly with the Trump administration; preacher Ken Peters, founder of Patriot Church; Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America; former Republican campaign strategist Steve Schmidt; investigative journalist Katherine Stewart; sociologist Samuel L. Perry; theologian Russell D. Moore, Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today; minister William Barber II, co-founder of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival; historian Linda Gordon, professor at New York University; theologian Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners; Christian writer Lisa Sharon Harper; Christian writer Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove; investigative journalist Anne Nelson; investigative journalist Brent Allpress; and Minnesota State Senator John Marty.^[1][8]

Release

The film held its premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 11, 2024, along with a Q&A panel.^[9] 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.^[10]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of eight critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10.^[11]

Owen 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."^[2]

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.^[12]

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".^[13]

Jerry Newcombe of The Christian Post reviewed the film negatively, defending Christian nationalism as a legitimate philosophy, while dismissing the film as a "propaganda" effort by the "left".^[14]

References

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imdb

Original title: Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy

no lnx

Directors

Stephen Ujlaki

Christopher Jacob Jones

co-director

Writers

(in alphabetical order)

Brent Allpress

Key Researcher

Alec Baer

co-writer

Christopher Jacob Jones

co-writer

Stephen Ujlaki

writer

Cast

(in credits order)

Ken Peters

Self - Senior Pastor, Patriot Church

Eboo Patel

Self - Founder, Interfaith America

Steve Schmidt

Self

Katherine Stewart

Self - Author, The Power Worshippers

Samuel Perry

Self - Sociologist, University of Oklahoma

Randall Balmer

Self - John Phillips Professor in Religion, Dartmouth

Russell Moore

Self - Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Toda

William J. Barber II

Self - Co-Chair, the Poor People's Campaign(as Rev. William Barber II)

Linda Gordon

Self - Author, The Second Coming of the KKK

Jim Wallis

Self - Chair in Faith & Justice, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown

Lisa Sharon Harper

Self - President & Founder, Freedom Road

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

Self - Author, Revolution of Values

Anne Nelson

Self - Author, Shadow Network

Brent Allpress

Self - Investigative Researcher

John Marty

Self - Minnesota State Senator, District 66

Stan Minner

Self - Parishioner, Patriot Church

Peter Coyote at an event for The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014)

Peter Coyote

Self - Narrator(voice)

Lyndon B. Johnson

Self - 36th President of the United States(archive footage)

Jimmy Carter

Self -39th President of the United States(archive footage)

Ronald Reagan

Self - 40th President of the United States(archive footage)

George W. Bush

Self - 43rd President of the United States

Barack Obama

Self - 44th President of the United States(archive footage)

Joe Biden

Self - 46th President of the United States(archive footage)

Mike Pence

Self - Vice President of the United States(archive footage)

Ted Cruz

Self - Senator, Texas(archive footage)

Josh Hawley

Self - Senator, Missouri(archive footage)

Jesse Helms

Self - Senator, Nouth Carolina/Segregationist(archive footage)

Rand Paul

Self - Senator, Kentucky(archive footage)

Marco Rubio

Self - Senator, Florida(archive footage)

Tommy Tuberville

Self - Senator, Alabama(archive footage)

Elizabeth Warren

Self - Senator, Massachusetts(archive footage)

Strom Thurmond

Self - Senator, South Carolina/Segregationist(archive footage)

John Boehner

Self - Former Speaker of the House(archive footage)

Mike Johnson

Self - Speaker of the House(archive footage)

Lauren Boebert

Self - Colorado, 3rd Congressional District(archive footage)

Mo Brooks

Self - Alabama, 5th Congressional District(archive footage)

Maxwell Frost

Self - Florida, 10th Congressional District(archive footage)

Jared Huffman in The Colbert Report (2005)

Jared Huffman

Self - California, 6th Congressional District(archive footage)

Jim Jordan

Self - Ohio, 4th Congressional District(archive footage)

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Self - Georgia, 14th Congressional District

Michele Bachmann

Self - Minnesota, 6th Congressional District 2007 - 2015(archive footage)

Greg Abbott

Self - Governor of Texas(archive footage)

Brian Kemp

Self - Governor of Georgia(archive footage)

Mike Huckabee in Mike Huckabee (2012)

Mike Huckabee

Self - Former Governor of Arkansas(archive footage)

Kari Lake

Self - Governor Candidate for Arizona(archive footage)

George Wallace

Self - Governor of Alabama(archive footage)

Mark Robinson

Self - Lieutenant Governor, North Carolina(archive footage)

Dan Hall

Self - Minnesota State Senator, District 56(archive footage)

Mallory McMorrow

Self - Michigan State Senator, District 13(archive footage)

Bret Baier

Self - Moderator, 2020 Presidential Debate(archive footage)

Tucker Carlson

Self - Host, Tucker Carlson Tonight(archive footage)

Stephen Colbert

Self - Host, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert(archive footage)

Shorty Awards, 2016

Francesca Fiorentini

Self - Host, Newsbroke(archive footage)

Mark Halperin in Charlie Rose (1991)

Mark Halperin

Self - Co-Host, With All Due Respect(archive footage)

Mehdi Hasan

Self - Host, The Mehdi Hasan Show(archive footage)

John Heilemann

Self(archive footage)

Alex Jones

Self - Host, Infowars(archive footage)

Terry Moran

Self - Senior National Correspondent at ABC News(archive footage)

Bill Moyers

Self - Host, Bill Moyers Journal(archive footage)

Stephanie Ruhle

Self - Host, The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle(archive footage)

Rest of cast listed alphabetically

Ali Alexander

Self - Member, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Carol Anderson

Self - Author, White Rage(archive footage)

Steven Anderson

Self - Pastor, Faithful World Baptist Church(archive footage)

Stephen Bannon

Self - Chief Strategist & Member, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage) (as Steve Bannon)

Bob Billings

Self - Executive Director, Moral Majority(archive footage) (as Dr. Bob Billings)

William Billings

Self - Director, National Christian Action Coalition(archive footage)

Kent Christmas

Self - Pastor, Regeneration Nashville Church(archive footage)

Kenneth Copeland in Believer's Voice of Victory (1985)

Kenneth Copeland

Self - Televangelist(archive footage)

Patrick Crusius

Self - El Paso, Texas Mass Shooter(archive footage)

T. Cullen Davis

Self - Ken Davis Industries(archive footage)

Betsy DeVos

Self - Sec. of Education & Member, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Jerry Falwell

Self - Co-Founder, Moral Majority(archive footage)

Jon Favreau in Pod Save America (2017)

Jon Favreau

Self - Former Head Speech Writer for President Obama(archive footage)

Tom Fitton

Self - President Judicial Watch, Inc.(archive footage)

Ronnie Floyd

Self - Former President, Southern Baptist Convention(archive footage)

Michael T Flynn

Self - National Security Council/Policy Counsel & Member, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Nick Fuentes

Self - Neo-Nazi/President, America First(archive footage)

Richard S. Fuld

Self - CEO, Lehman Brothers(archive footage)

Rudy Giuliani

Self - Former Lawyer for President Trump(archive footage)

Neil Gorsuch

Self - Supreme Cout Justice(archive footage)

Franklin Graham

Self - President, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(archive footage)

Nelson Bunker Hunt

Self - Titan Resources Corp(archive footage)

W. Herbert Hunt

Self - Titan Resources Corp(archive footage)

Allen Jackson

Self - Pastor, World Outreach Church(archive footage)

Vince James

Self - White Nationalist/Treasurer, America First(archive footage) (as Vincent James)

Robert Jeffress

Self - Pastor, First Baptist Church of Dallas(archive footage)

Bob Jones III

Self - President, Bob Jones University(archive footage)

Brett Kavanaugh

Self - Supreme Cout Justice(archive footage)

Martin Luther King

Self - Civil Rights Leader(archive footage)

Charlie Kirk

Self - Founder and President, Turning Point USA(archive footage)

Charles G. Koch

Self - CEO, Koch Industries(archive footage) (as Charles Koch)

David H. Koch

Self - Vice President, Koch Industries(archive footage) (as David Koch)

Oliver Laughland

Self - Journalist, The Guardian(archive footage)

On the red carpet at the World Premier of Come Out In Jesus Name, March 4, 2023

Greg Locke

Self - Pastor, Global Vision Bible Church(archive footage)

Bob McEwen

Self - Executive Director, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Elizabeth Neumann

Self

Sandra Day O'Connor

Self - Former Supreme Court Justice(archive footage)

Joel Osteen

Self - Televangelist(archive footage)

Sonny Perdue

Self - Secretary of Agriculture(archive footage)

Tony Perkins

Self - President, Family Research Council(archive footage)

Scott Pruitt

Self - Sec. of EPA/Policy Counsel & Member, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Vladimir Putin

Self - President of Russia(archive footage)

Ralph Reed

Self - Board of Governors, Council for Nation Policy(archive footage)

Pat Robertson

Self - Host, The 700 Club(archive footage)

James Robison

Self - Televangelist(archive footage)

Rousas Rushdoony

Self - Theologian & Member, Council for National Policy(archive footage)

Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj

Self - Founder, Jesus Ministries(archive footage) (as Brother Brother Sadhu)

Kelly Shackelford

Self - President & Chief Executive Officer First Liberty Institute(archive footage)

Ginni Thomas

Self - Wife of Clarence Thomas(archive footage)

Donald Trump

Self - 45th President of the United States(archive footage)

Alex Ura

Self - Associate Editor, Texas Tribune(archive footage)

Richard Viguerie

Self - Republican Political Strategist/Fundraiser(archive footage)

Lance Wallnau

Self - Dominionist 'Prophet'(archive footage)

Bill Walton

Self - President, Council for Nation Policy 2020 - 2021(archive footage)

Gavin Wax

Self - President, New York Young Republican Club(archive footage)

Paul Weyrich

Self - Chairman & CEO, Free Congress Foundation(archive footage)

Paula White

Self - Faith Advisor to President Trump(archive footage)

Producers

Douglas Blush

co-producer

Peter D. Graves

executive producer

Christopher Jacob Jones

co-producer (as Chris Jones)

Amanda Pinedo

archival producer

John Ptak

executive producer

Michael Steed

executive producer

Todd Stiefel

executive producer

Stephen Ujlaki

producer

Composers

Jeremy Grody

Lili Haydn

Cinematographers

Pilar Timpane

Billy Yates

Editors

Alec Baer

Christopher Jacob Jones

editor (as Chris Jones)

Art Department

Jackie Clark Mancuso

design consultant

Sound Department

Dwayne Dell

sound recordist

Jameo Duncan

sound recordist

Jeremy Grody

sound designer

Sean Higgins

Additional Re-recording Mixer

Lucien Palmer

dialogue editor / re-recording mixer

Animation Department

Andrew Hoeveler

motion designer

Thanks

Bob Conte

special thanks

Alex L. Newman

special thanks

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Bad Faith docu

Background

Synopsis

Production

Interviewees

Release

Reception

See also

References