How did the command to “Love Your Enemies” get so complicated? This was the question I had for years both when I was a minister in the church and ever since I left it. It seemed to me the religious right, more a political force than anything else, who embraced policies of violence, killing and destruction, all in the name of a God they claimed to follow seemed to be at odds with the teachings of the founder of their faith.
For the first three centuries that the church existed, those belonging to the faith of Christianity understood the words and example of Jesus to be a clear directive to never be involved with violence. To be a Christian was to be a Pacifist, and during those formative years the church endured several persecutions at the hands of the Roman Empire itself without ever considering taking up the sword against their aggressors.
How did this faith, known and identified for its non-violent beliefs, go on to conduct the crusades, the inquisitions, witch hunts, and today have 87% of white evangelical Christians support President George W. Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq? How did this religion, founded by a Pacifist and known (even criticized) for non-violence, become a religion known for its aggression, war, political power and embracing of violence?
So, in 2006 I decided to travel across North America and talk to scholars, historians, authors and religious leaders on both sides of the issue (not the cheap Bill Maher tactics of only talking to crazy people on whichever side he stands opposed to) to understand why some believe the Christian faith allows for killing and others in the exact same faith believe that to truly follow the faith, one must never take life. The result was this project “Prince of Peace - God of War”
The project took me just over a year to complete and was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, but at the same time one of the most rewarding. As a documentary I am very proud of how the issues are addressed and explored… but at the same time I am very humbled by how much it lacks artistic quality. A gifted documentary filmmaker I am not. But audiences across North America at various film festivals seems to quickly look past my artistic shortcomings and submerged themselves in the issues and discussion in the film. Some agreeing, some disagreeing, but all apparently talking.
Some media folks commented at the time:
“Central to John Campea’s engaging documentary is the question of how it is that 87 percent of self-defined Christians are able to rally fists in support of war when one would assume that conflict is not what Jesus would do.”
The Orlando Weekly
“Loved It! An Extensive look at how Christians went from preaching about love and peace to fighting for war.”
Peter Sciretta - Slahfilm.Com
“I was gripped the entire run time”
Kurt Halfyard - Twitchfilm.Net
“People should definitely see this… they’re going to love it”
Andrew Olson - MoviePatron.Com
“I urge you to give it a look and in all honesty, if your Religious Philosophy professor puts Just War on the curriculum, you may want to suggest he add this film as an introduction.”
Marina Antunes - MadAboutMovies.Net
“the documenary does a great job at presenting the facts, with the leading experts on Theology and Christianity and making you stop and think long and hard on a tough topic. ”
MoviesOnline.Ca
This project was only made possible by those people who were willing to lend their thoughts, expertise and perspective to the conversation. Both those on the Just War and Pacifism sides of this discussion were beyond generous with their time and insights. To all of them, I am very grateful.
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Dr. Tony Campolo Best selling author, Former Spiritual Advisor to President Bill Clinton Professor at Eastern University - St. Davids PA |
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Dr. Brian McLaren Listed on TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals In America |
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Bruxy Cavey Author of “The End Of Religion” Minister of “The Meeting House” - Canada’s largest Church |
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Dr. David Williams Academic Vice President Taylor University College Edmonton AB |
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Dr. Victor Shepherd Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology Tyndale Seminary - Toronto ON |
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Dr. Stanley Fowler Professor of Theological Studies Heritage Seminary - Cambridge ON |
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Dr. Kent Clarke Director of the Professor Rueben J. Swanson Ancient Manuscript Collection Trinity University - Langley BC |
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Jordon Cooper Founder of the Resonate Church Leaders Network |
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Dr. Gordon Heath Assistant Professor of Church History McMaster University - Hamilton ON |
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John Campea Former Evangelical Christian and Minister Senior Editor - The Movie Blog |
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Dr. Gary Yamasaki Professor of New Testament Columbia Bible College - Abbotsford BC |
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Dr. Michael Gilmour Associate Professor of New Testament Providence College - Otterburne MB |
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Dr. Jan Van Vliet Professor of Theology Prairie Bible Insitute - Three Hills AB |
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Dr. Douglas Jacobsen Distinguished Professor of Church History Messiah College - Grantham PA |
With the festivals far behind me now, and all the DVDs that were printed sold out, I decided to release the movie online for free, just to get it out there and continue to spark discussion (that’s my hope at any rate). So download it, share it, copy it, BitTorrent it, love it, hate it, whatever. It’s amazing what you can do with one cheap little camera, one very cheap little microphone, no crew, no money and a bit of time on the road. I hope you enjoy it, or at least that it makes you think. Cheers!
You can watch Prince of Peace - God of War here:
You can download a higher quality copy here.
Or you can download an iPhone/iPod version here.
44 Comments, Comment or Ping
McBain
well I guess I know what I’m watching this weekend
Oct 8th, 2008
Kalza
Woo-hoo, finally I’m able to see this doc! Thank you for making it available for free, John.
Oct 8th, 2008
Liam
FINALLY!
now I hope you don’t mind using this for one of my ESL classes at a Christian university in Korea.
This will make for some excellent discussion.
Oct 8th, 2008
Leigh
I actually bought this as a download when it was released, it was worth the money to. You get to see why Bruxy Cavey is such a popular minister and Dr. Tony Campolo’s final story is a perfect finish, which shows the real strength of true faith (which is a weird thing for me to say as a non Christian).
Oct 9th, 2008
herby
Thank you John. I saw your film at the San Diego Film Festival and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing it again.
Oct 9th, 2008
wordy
Why are people labeled as “Pacifism” and not “Pacifist”? I don’t get it. A minor point, but it reads bad right from the start…
Oct 9th, 2008
John
Hey wordy
It denotes which position they take, not what they are. Either “pacifism” or “just war”. Otherwise I’d have to call the other side “just warists”
Oct 9th, 2008
RTorres
Dr. Kent Clarke…
He must be hidin’ some superpowers…
Oct 9th, 2008
ian9outof10
John, thanks for firstly making this movie, and secondly making it available for free.
The very best of luck for your next project!
Oct 9th, 2008
astrocreep
thanks John for making this available for free. I’ll be watching this tomorrow with some friends
Oct 9th, 2008
Garcia
Interesting watch…
sadly I am neither christian nor am I catholic. I have always been fascinated on the subject of why people choose certain religions. I for one am a humanist.
I have always hated the politics of religion. And have never understood why it plays such an important role in it.
Oct 9th, 2008
Ross
Very interesting documentary, John. Well done - particularly for your very first attempt at something like this. A few technical things aside it’s a very good watch, I especially liked how you made it about the content and what people had to say more than anything else. Much like this site - keep the look and feel simple and let the content be the focus.
Oct 9th, 2008
Haole
Now what sort of Geographical boundaries will be placed on this John? Are our international friends out of luck because you’re a bastard and sold the foreign rights just to be a dick?
By the way, it is a great documentary.
Oct 9th, 2008
Fridrik
John used to be a minister? I had no idea, but it rings true with all the fire and brimstone he lets rain on bad movies.
I’m definently going to download it and check it out.
Oct 9th, 2008
Jordan
John, quick question:
I’ve heard you mention a few times that you are a “former evangelical”. Not trying to get too personal or anything, but may I ask what took you away from the faith?
Oct 9th, 2008
Mr. Chris
Gotta leave a comment while my goosebumps are still fresh. This is a fantastic documentary, John. I really hope this resonates with a lot of people and promotes a better understanding of religious differences. I’ll be recommending this to everyone I know.
Oct 9th, 2008
HAZMAT_DRINKS_BLOOD
john
ive been doing ROTC and i signed up for the marine corp and i leave this upcoming june and im going for infantry recon who are pretty much the first line soldiers that go into battle first and ive had many questions that the just war theory answered
ive been and on and off atheist/evangelic christian and ive had doubts about killing being good or bad if youre a soldier. so ive been thinking about that and if its a goog thing since im doing it for a right cause or bad because of the bible.
my recruter says killing is something i WILL face if i sign up as infantry in the marines…which i did. so thats been bugging me, its a question no ones been able to answer. is it okay to kill if youre an american soldier?
what do you think? does the just war theory answer my question or im i off?
Oct 9th, 2008
Kristi
This documentary comes at a time when I am trying to get back to my beliefs. It has helped me tremendously thank you John for making it and for sharing it.
Oct 9th, 2008
Bratte
Hello John. Im watching the movie as i write this and i was just wondering if it is possibly to see the whole podcast that you did with bruxy somewhere?
Oct 9th, 2008
John
Hey Bratte,
It’s not available for video download anywhere… but I think The Meeting House has the full audio podcast on their website somewhere if you do a quick search for it
Oct 9th, 2008
Bratte
Thank you John, just finished watching. Great stuff, the story at the end just made it, gave me goosebumps :)
Oct 9th, 2008
twil
Thanks for putting this up for free John
Oct 9th, 2008
HAZMAT_KNOWS_KARATE
Kristi
yes same here no doubt
great film love the ending
Oct 9th, 2008
Kryptonite
Thank you John!
Oct 9th, 2008
twil
that was very powerful John. it taught me a lot about these two sides and the power that peace can bring, as well as teaching me a lot about christianity in general. The quote by Hitler was extremely powerful in helping me to form a somewhat pasifist opinion on the matter.
Oct 9th, 2008
riseup
cool - can’t wait to see it. ultimitely though, i think it’s money that drives the war machine. every american needs to check out Freedom to Fascism and The Money Masters.
Oct 9th, 2008
Meg
I just finished watching your documentary, and I thought it was fantastic.
I’m not a religious person, yet I was pleased to find that several of my questions regarding Christianity and violence were answered in this movie and saw that many within the religion do indeed share some of my beliefs. Obviously Canada’s got something really good going for them in Bruxy Cavey. I wish someone like that was down here in the States.
Thanks for making this available for free!
Oct 9th, 2008
Lionel
The documentary is interesting in that it provides a forum for many ideas to be aired.
I think that too often the decision to act on issues like Abortion & War are justified in the hope that it may achieve a quicker resolution to the “problem” than the alternatives.
This boils down to an uncommitment for what we claim to believe.
For example: Do I work tirelessly to setup a home for the poor mothers or adoption homes to care for their babies, provide funding to secure a reasonable future for the growing children, schooling, health and retirement, visit the mothers and help and pray for them… no, because that is simply asking too much isn’t it. I want a quick fix, a solution that does not require a long term commitment from me, something that is efficient and distant.
Read “Light Force” and “Secret Believer” by Brother Andrew to shift the discussion away from theoretical to practical issues of Christian-on-Christian violence. Investigate the Chinese churches and their suffering.
We’re looking at a Muslim world in the future, are Christians prepared to sit back and allow people to choose what they want to believe or even be forced into a new belief system? Jesus would. Jesus, Peter and Paul warned of deception. They did not prevent false teachings by killing anyone, but happily allowed others to rule over them while suffering.
Since there is no such thing as a Christian society, why does society feel the need to be ruled by Christians. Paul says we should pray for peace and Jesus says we should make peace. When peace is not found outwardly, then we make peace inwardly and learns to suffer though until death takes us home to God.
When people are not longer in control, with no opportunity to get control, they are prepared to accept a lot of suffering.
God places a much LOWER value on human life itself and “quality of life” than Christians are willing to accept. For God, it’s about accepting rebuke, punishment or chastisement with patience, laying down my life and giving everything to others, esteeming others higher than myself and doing all this joyfully. I therefore ask, “How many are really Christians in Western society?”
God is much more concerned about us knowing and trusting Him regardless of the situation, than us being comfortable, safe, fat and happy.
Cain killed Able because he couldn’t get to God directly. God did not kill Cain as punishment, He knew they’d be face to face a little later.
I hope your journey takes you to many interesting places outside of the USA.
Oct 9th, 2008
Bruxy Cavey
Hey Gang,
For anyone who wants to hear the complete podcast that is featured in the film, you can find it at my book site. We re-aired what was originally a church podcast of The Meeting House in this new series of podcasts that discusses themes in my book. Go to http://www.theendofreligion.org. Click on podcasts and then Chapter 10: Thy Kingdom Come.
Enjoy!
Brux
Oct 10th, 2008
David
Fantastic documentary. The story at the end moved me to tears.
Oct 10th, 2008
vargas
Thank you john for this documentary. I’m going to check it out. I’m against war. BTW and believe that it is not a Christian’s duty to get involved in wars. After all, Jesus didn’t.
Oct 10th, 2008
Paul Runyan
I am curious to know what the people being interviewed think about this subject.
Oct 10th, 2008
Bronson
More milk, uh huh uh huh.
Oct 11th, 2008
kc
Nice Job.
I thought the ending story was one of the most powerful I have ever heard.
For a first movie, I thought it was amazing. You really pulled it off… you told a story.
Oct 11th, 2008
Normi
Now isn’t it ironic that we go to war to achieve peace? That violence has become a substantial method to gain pacification?
When you have a bold message to send across, it doesn’t matter if it is artistically made (though it helps). But your film, sans the amazing film making effects, already has spoken volumes. And it’s an achievement for you being a 1st time filmmaker. Hats off to you.
I was so moved I’ve posted it to our church’s website and mine.
Oct 14th, 2008
fatih
inşanlahiner
Oct 19th, 2008
ruxi
best
Oct 20th, 2008
EMIL JOHNSON
really dying to watch the movie……pls help me get it…….thanks and take care……….
Oct 21st, 2008
Mike
Why did Christians shift from pacifism to the just war theory?
After Jesus, the next 300 years of Christians regulated their life through spiritual energy. The quality of their consciousness determined what kind of future they would experience. The energy emanated by them was of a much higher vibrational frequency.
When Constantine adopted Christianity, it became more then a religion. Different themes were incorporated into the church. Themes such as politics, law codes, and control over state as well as social matters and economic structures. Many people bent on greed and run by Mind Energy secured positions in the church and soon corrupted its very being. When Mind energy is in control, there is no awareness of the Spiritual.
Jesus said “Blessed are the gentle, they shall have the earth for their possession.” The gentle are those who surrender to spiritual energy and are not subject to the law of polarities which states that there can be no good without bad. Those run on Mind energy are blind to see this and are unaware of its existence.
Oct 22nd, 2008
Mike
LIONEL
You said, ” When peace is not found outwardly, then we make peace inwardly and [should learn] to suffer until death takes us home to God.”
When you say suffering I think you mean Physical suffering. Because inside is an inseparable part of the timeless and formless One Life from which all that exists derives its being. There is no suffering in your innermost essence. In fact, there is no suffering at all, only the illusion of suffering.
You said “God is much more concerned about us knowing and trusting Him regardless of the situation”
What do you mean, “God?” Are you implying that God is a sentient being? That God has form? I believe that “he” is everything and anything as well as nothing at all. More importantly, “he” is the life essence that surrounds us, the being (present progressive) that is inside us. But sadly most humans are run by their minds and cannot see this.
Oct 22nd, 2008
lost
i want this game
Oct 24th, 2008
Jesse
Love
Oct 26th, 2008
Kathleen
Tony Campolo’s opening statements about a generation of Christians who know what to do but do the opposite is very powerful.
Oct 29th, 2008
Luis
Hello. I need some help… I need someone to translate this movie to show it to latinamerica.
You can send a mail to me if you want to help me…
Thank you
ps: this is not a joke
ps2: this kind of movies do not leave your country. We want to know…
ps3: i know basic english *_*
Nov 3rd, 2008
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