Directed by
Heidi Ewing / Rachel Grady
85 minutes
Rated PG
Reviewed by
Bernard Hemingway
Jesus Camp
Synopsis: Some 25% of Americans describe themselves as Evangelical Christians, a charismatic outgrowth of Protestant Christianity. Jesus Camp looks at the work of the pointy end of the organization in recruiting the hearts and minds of young Americans to the Army of God.A nominee for Best Documentary at the 2007 Academy Awards, Jesus Camp is worthy of attention principally for its content which has two main prongs: firstly the influence of Evangelical Christianity on American politics and secondly the way in which this group (some 30 million strong) countenance indoctrination of children as a legitimate recruitment strategy.
Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady are not in the Michael Moore school of provocation and allow the group, principally in the guise of Pastor Becky Fischer, to speak for themselves. (The other main spokesman seen here, Ted Haggard, was subsequently forced to relinquish his position after admissions of homosexual activity and purchasing metamphetamine). The result is quite scary. Maintaining an inflexible, borderline hysterical, commitment to the belief that they are in possession of God’s word, they are very much the other side of the coin to fundamentalist Islamists (for whose techniques of getting 'em young Fischer has a kind of admiration). Little wonder that they regard George W. Bush as a Man of God. And, of course, global warming as a liberal conspiracy and creationism as the non-negotiable explanation for life
What is more scary however than the beliefs of the Evangelicals is how they go about brainwashing the prepubescent members of their church. Falling back on the typically right wing position of doing it to the other guy first, they argue that since what they “teach” their children is true, what they are doing is a good thing. Presumably not trusting to the critical faculties of their audience, Ewing and Grady adopt the technique of showing Air America commentator Mike Papantonio doing his radio program to counter the asseverations of the Evangelicals. This works best when Pastor Becky comes on air and in her debate with Papantonio effectively articulates the anti-democratic implications of her philosophy.
From the point of view of delivery, Jesus Camp is to say the least, unvarnished, and offers no embellishment to the basic point-and-shoot approach to its subject matter other than a sometimes over-insistent soundtrack, which means that satisfaction will be had to the degree to which it raises concern about a disturbingly potent force in American society.
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