Jesus Camp (2006)

"We believe that there's two kinds of people in this world: people who love Jesus and people who don't."

                                                                  -Levi's Mom 

Watching a preteen Christian speaking in tongues while tears stream down their cheeks is intense. Watching them fall to the ground in tears while asking their God for forgiveness feels intrusive. Jesus Camp takes us into the lives of Evangelical Christians and like any good doc it sparks intense conversation, thought, and a variety of emotion.

Largely set in the Midwest US we follow kids like Levi. At 12 years old, we watch as he’s tutored in how to respond to global warming claims and how to respond to those who doubt creationism (which is "the only possible answer to all the questions" his mother assures him). Levi, a kid himself, gives sermons to others younger than him. Like many scenes in this doc the feelings inspired are conflicting. It's exciting to see him practice and do well in front of the crowd yet it's still a bit unsettling to hear such firm beliefs coming from someone so young and inexperienced. Levi is well mannered and polite when he speaks, even when he talks of the "yuckiness" he feels when he comes across non-Christians. This “us vs them” mentality is steady through the documentary and is disconcerting.

The kids presented in Jesus Camp genuinely gather strength from their faith, and they aren't portrayed as blind to doubt or hesitation – for example they are told that Harry Potter is a warlock and not a hero and when one kid admits to watching the films with a smile on his face, others nearby are visibly shocked and excited at the same time. Still, as strong as they appear they are simultaneously portrayed as the fragile beings that they are. They cry so much and so often through the film. They cry when they're happy, sad, fearful, excited...it's powerful and the emotion is so honest. Yet audiences will wonder how much is too much to put on a child. Watching them get lectured about abortion, complete with plastic fetuses to see and hold, is upsetting and feels premature.

The theme of the film seems explore the role children play in the future of Evangelicals’ faith. Repeatedly they are singled out by the adults around them as being vital to the longevity of the Church. It’s an enormous amount of pressure and the approach to the task is interestingly exemplified by the use of two words: train and teach. The distinction between the words is vital and never concretely made throughout the doc. At times the parents claim to be teaching their children the Word of God while other times they are actively training them for what sounds like a war.

Structurally the film is tight and familiar: we’re introduced to the topic of Evangelical Christianity and the kids and adults that we'll follow; then we follow them to religion camp and back. The greatest strength of the doc is that it does well to not poke fingers and make fun, but to show the conflicting sides in a surprising neutral light. The Evangelicals will watch with pride while others will watch in shock and disbelief. The final shot of the film is a telling one. Becky, the religion camp director, drives through a car wash listening to a preacher professing what she already believes. In that moment she’s either being washed over and renewed by hearing her beliefs reinforced to her or she's a deeply confused woman driving through a dark tunnel.

I worry for our kids. I worry that they don't get to be kids as long as they should. I worry that they seem to face so much more information overload and persuasion than I remember facing (though maybe older generations said the same of mine). Nonetheless I worry for them.

(Ted Haggard makes an interesting appearance, chastising homosexuals, considering his sex scandal that emerged in the same year Jesus Camp was released.)