Last night, Americans United hosted a screening of an important documentary titled “For Our Daughters: Stories of Abuse, Betrayal, and Resistance in the Evangelical Church.” The screening was followed by a discussion between AU President and CEO Rachel Laser and Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, whose book Jesus and John Wayne inspired the film.
The film is described as a “timely exploration of the intersection between faith, politics, and women’s rights in America” that “honors the brave sexual and spiritual abuse survivors within the church who have shared their stories, and those who have not yet spoken.”
Many of the women featured in the film have been speaking out against the patriarchal mindset that permeates so much of Christian Nationalism – a mindset that has filtered down to many conservative evangelical churches where women, despite the key role they play in keeping these churches going, are often treated as second-class citizens or victimized.
“For Our Daughters” raises compelling questions that America’s evangelical churches can’t afford to ignore. It also provides yet another stark warning about the dangers of Christian Nationalism.
You can watch “For Our Daughters” online for free. And you can find a discussion guide here. (Be aware that the film contains a frank discussion of sexual and spiritual assault.) A recording of the event with Laser and Du Mez is available here.
