Monergism Books

Format:  DVD
Region: Multi-regional
Languge: English
Writter & Director: Brian Godawa
Narrator: Liev Schreiber
Producer: Jack Hafer, André Iseli
Production Companies: Boulevard Pictures, Iseli & Iseli Associates
Time Running: 57 minutes

Availability: Usually Ships the Same Business Day

Description: The Wall of Separation is a metaphor deeply embedded in the American consciousness. Most of us take for granted the idea that politics and religion should not be intermixed because of the heritage of The First Amendment in our understanding of freedom of religion. The No Establishment Clause has protected us from the entanglement of religion with government, and the Free Exercise Clause has secured the right for all faiths to engage in their religious practices without interference from the state. America is a religiously pluralistic culture guided by a secular government.

But is this conventional wisdom of “secularized” government exactly what our Founding Fathers intended when they established our nation and wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights? Some scholars think so. Other scholars claim that a contextualization of Colonial American culture and politics reveals a radically different definition of religious establishment and church/state relations than we have today. Some even claim it is the exact opposite of what the Founders intended. This is an ongoing debate that has continued to polarize Americans to this day.

“Wall of Separation” is an hour-long visual essay in which historical footage and photographs tell the story, with scholar-interviews and narration that plot the development of this most influential American metaphor dividing church and state.

In this historical documentary, Brian Godawa takes a look at what the Founding Fathers intended when they framed the Constitution and wrote the First Amendment religion clauses. Were they trying to create a Christian nation, a secular paradise, or something in between? The documentary takes a look at how our understanding of church and state relations has changed through history by means of Supreme Court decisions and cultural pressures. From Everson vs. Board of Education to the most recent decisions over Ten Commandments displays, such interpretations are explored in comparison with the Founder’s original intent. This raises questions: Should "original intent" guide modern interpretation? Should government be secular, or should religion have influence on the State? There are no easy answers to this ongoing debate that polarizes the nation.

Monergism Review: The best presentation on the concept of 'the separation of church and state' that we have seen. A very high-quality, irenic and well executed (History Channel-llike) documentary which has a firm understanding of the historical issues. Recently shown on PBS. Highly recommended!!!