The Religious Test.

A week or so ago I got to watch an interesting documentary for free, see two old friends (one who happened to produce that interesting film), and eat good snacks.

The film was The Religious Test, the friends are Eleanor and Michael Potter, and the snacks were plentiful. All three things took place at my beloved Claremont Graduate University.

The movie centers around a statistic in a specific that said 1 in 5 individuals in America would not vote for a Mormon president. I know that the election is over. And that the Mormon candidate conceded. And that Mormonism may have played a bigger role in the primary election than the general. And that many (if not all of you) are political-seasoned-out, but (and this is a big But), I still think this film is worth watching. It asks important normative questions about how religion should be related to politics, and offers descriptive data about how it is.

This documentary also included nearly every person I would have liked to see interviewed about this subject, that is, Laurel Ulrich, Kristine Haglund, Joanna Brooks, Kathleen Flake, Richard Bushman, and so forth. As one person in the question and answer session with the producer, pointed out, while it lacks a certain narrative, as you watch it, you feel like you are in a room with a bunch of smart people, just talking, and like you are part of the conversation. Kudos, Michael!