Jesus Camp

Critics Consensus

Evangelical indoctrination is given an unflinching, even-handed look in this utterly worthwhile documentary.

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Movie Info

The youngest foot soldiers for the Lord are shown in their native environment in this documentary. Becky Fischer is a children's pastor who runs "Kids on Fire," a summer camp for evangelical Christian children in North Dakota. Fischer believes in the political and moral importance of a Christian presence in America, and uses her camp to reinforce the religious training most of her charges are already receiving at home (the majority of the campers are home-schooled by their parents). Using video games, animated videos, and group activities to help put her message across, Fischer encourages the kids to pray for George W. Bush and his Supreme Court appointees while urging them to help "take back America for Christ." For the most part, the children seem reasonably ordinary beyond the fact they pray with uncommon fervor and sometimes speak in tongues. Along with Fischer and her cohorts, Jesus Camp features interviews with Ted Haggard, an evangelist and advisor to George W. Bush, and Mike Papantonio, a Christian talk-show host who believes the right-wing slant of many Christian evangelists is taking the church into a dangerous direction. Jesus Camp was directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, who previously made the acclaimed The Boys of Baraka. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating:

PG-13 (for some discussions of mature subject matter)
Genre:

Documentary, Musical & Performing Arts, Faith & Spirituality
Directed By:

Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
In Theaters:

Sep 15, 2006 limited
On Disc/Streaming:

Jan 23, 2007
Box Office:

$900,000
Runtime:

86 minutes
Studio:

Magnolia Pictures

Cast

Pastor Becky Fischer

Levi

Mike Papantonio

Rachael

Tory

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Critic Reviews for Jesus Camp

All Critics (103) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (90) | Rotten (13)

Why bother with horror films when you can see this?

Nov 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
Top Critic
Some lively material - but nothing new.

Nov 23, 2007 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
Top Critic
This unabashedly liberal documentary tries to redress the balance by giving the rest of America a wake up call: not all scary fundamentalists come strapped with explosives.

Nov 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Jamie Russell
BBC.com
Top Critic
A brave, thoughtful documentary.

Nov 22, 2007 | Rating: 4/6 | Full Review…

David Jenkins
Time Out
Top Critic
No matter your religious or political affiliation (or lack thereof), this supremely even-handed documentary from Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady is cinematic dynamite.

Oct 13, 2006 | Rating: 3/4

Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic
It's almost impossible not to respond emotionally to this fascinating, sobering and all-too-brief exploration of the politicized religious right and its hopes, dreams and power.

Oct 13, 2006 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Connie Ogle
Miami Herald
Top Critic
The filmmakers are more hands off than your average agitdoc director, but their point is unmistakable.

Feb 27, 2018 | Full Review…

Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Jesus Camp doesn't just preach to the converted, it bores and frightens them.

Feb 6, 2012 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
Eye-opening look at the Evangelicals among us.

Jan 1, 2011 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Common Sense Media Editors
Common Sense Media
A disturbing, unflinching portrait of religion and its effects on children when in the hands of psychotic strangers and bad parents.

Apr 29, 2009 | Full Review…

Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Flawed editing and intrusive and irritating commentary hardly detract from the shock value of this disturbing documentary. Compulsory viewing for anyone in the least bit concerned about religious extremism.

Nov 23, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Sam Jordison
Film4
This gripping shock-doc looks inside the Kids on Fire evangelical summer camp in North Dakota, where training starts young for a "new army of God" to "take back America for Christ".

Nov 23, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Carmen Gray
Total Film

View All Critic Reviews (103)

Audience Reviews for Jesus Camp

Jan 24, 2016

It is appalling to see the nefarious effects of religion and the fundamentalist indoctrination of children carried out by those ignorant, delusional ministers who are so strongly committed to brainwashing them into becoming a bunch of fanatics and turning the USA into a theocracy.

Carlos M Super Reviewer
Nov 29, 2014

Though unquestionably biased, Jesus Camp is an eye-opening, oftentimes scary chronicling of the extreme practices of a radical Christian childrens' camp.

Isaac H Super Reviewer
Mar 16, 2012

Jesus Camp is a film that really can disturb many people. Most will refuse to view it due to there faith, but really along with Deliver is from Evil this is one documentary you must watch. It makes you just feel so bad for the children, and it really is a form of brainwash by evangelicals among us.

Daniel D Super Reviewer
Jan 12, 2012

A fascinating documentary on a Jesus Camp run by evangelicals that provides very disturbing material outlining the brainwashing of children to adhere to a particular message. It is a reaction to Muslim extremist camps quite clearly and the intolerance instilled in the youngsters is horrible to watch.

John B Super Reviewer