MOVIE REVIEW Postcards From Babylon: The Church in American Exile
By Rev. Dr. Rhonda Abbott Blevins
Postcards From Babylon describes itself as “a long-form documentary featuring author and pastor, Brian Zahnd, as he investigates possibly the most important question for the church in North America today: How does the church stay faithful to the beautiful way of Jesus while situated in one of the most divisive political climates in our nation’s history?”1
Written and directed by David Peters, the film launched on January 21, 2021, promising to address the problem of Christian nationalism with interviews from Walter Brueggemann, Shane Claiborne, Lisa Sharon Harper and others. It delivered on that promise.
I watched Postcards through the lens of a local church pastor looking for resources to address the problem of Christian nationalism (CN) in a “purple” church (a church with both Republicans and Democrats). While the film was spot-on in addressing CN, I am doubtful that I will be using it anytime soon in my parish because I suspect it would alienate half of my congregation, at least in today’s climate.
Let me begin with what the film got right.
First, I appreciate the production quality of the film, despite the fact that the production team was blind sighted by COVID-related lockdowns and had to rely on several Zoom interviews. They made the most of this challenge and offered a moment of levity by asking Walter Brueggemann to sit on something to raise his face into the viewing window of his webcam. Dr. Brueggemann perched upon a phone book (I didn’t realize they still made those!) and a commentary, but despite Brueggemann’s brilliance, he never managed to figure out how to look at his webcam.
Second, I am hard pressed to disagree with any of the theological or ecclesiological stances the film takes. These are progressive Christians in conversation with other progressive Christians; they offer talking points and excellent one-liners I will likely borrow along the way. A favorite zinger was from Shane Claiborne crediting Tony Campolo: “Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn’t do much to the manure, but it sure does ruin the ice cream.” One of the thought leaders quoted Stanley Hauerwas: “Nationalism is a religion; war is its liturgy.”
Now for what left me disappointed.
First, as I mentioned before, I doubt I will show Postcards to faithful individuals who tend to vote for Republican candidates because it would likely alienate them. I was hoping for a serious discussion about Christian nationalism in a way that could challenge and inform those who have scant considered the conflation of Christianity and the American dream. But instead of a bridge-building film, it will likely only gain steam inside of left-leaning, progressive Christian circles.
Relatedly, one of the scenes in the film finds a particular thought leader protesting at the base of a Robert E. Lee statue, in an apparent attempt to engage in a verbal sparring match with others gathered there, including one gentleman waving a rebel flag. His efforts seemed less about finding common ground and more about creating a scene. I don’t find that approach helpful in an already divided political climate. While I believe that there is a time for peaceful protest, this particular act seemed more about creating an interesting scene for a documentary rather than a genuine attempt to engage with people about the problem of Christian nationalism.
Finally, I was hoping for some ideas about how we might navigate the current crisis within American Christianity—steps that we might take toward more fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus and a unifying vision for purple churches like the one I serve. I was left disappointed toward this end. Postcards nails the problem; it does not offer any solutions.
With that, I think the film could be an interesting discussion-starter within a group of progressive, left-leaning Christians. I can think of several individuals in my ministry context who could gain language for talking about what they intuitively feel is wrong with faith in America. And on a personal note, Postcards From Babylon helped me remember that, while teaching a progressive view of the faith sometimes feels like an uphill battle, I am not alone. That by itself made it worth the $14.99.
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1 From the Postcards From Babylon website: https://www.postcardsdoc.com