James P. Carroll was brought up in privilege and in a strict Catholic household. His father, Joseph, was an intelligence officer for both the FBI and the U.S. Air Force. James went on to become a priest and served as chaplain at Boston University but he eventually decided that he could no longer in good conscience remain a priest because he had too many unanswered questions, some of which concerned the role of religion in government. James has since wandered far from his upbringing, becoming part of the peace movement during the Vietnam War era and becoming a very vocal critic of the Catholic Church and its role in the American government.
In 2001, he authored a book entitled, "Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews - A History", a very controversial tome that examined the history of Christianity in general, and specifically its effect on Jews and the role played by Constantine (best known for his being the first Christian emperor) in this history. "Constantine's Sword" is the film adaptation of his book. It asks two questions and then attempts to answer them: Why are intolerance, violence and war so deeply ingrained in religion and why did the Cross become a rallying symbol for persecution? His answers will unquestionably make many squirm. Actually, the questions alone already tip his hand, so the squirming begins there. The answers he provides here also don't help.
James is on screen for a good deal of the time, interviewing people as diverse as a caretaker at Auschwitz, an Evangelical leader in Colorado Springs and people who are or who were Catholic leaders all over the world. In the case of present day America, he examines the controversy surrounding the U.S. Naval Academy in Colorado Springs where the students were 'encouraged' to see Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ". The overall effect is powerful because, if you choose to accept his questions and answers, one can be awfully apprehensive as to where we are headed. No doubt, some already feel that way anyway. This is all just more reinforcement of the fears of people who lean in this general direction.
It is difficult for me to assess "Constantine's Sword" neutrally because, in the interest of full disclosure, I already share some of Mr. Carroll's opinions on the current state of affairs. But to be fair, very few are unbiased when it comes to religion or politics. We all bring our own personal baggage in those areas to events like these. Those who do not share his vision will probably claim that all of this is just pure fiction and bashing of organized religion. Assuming the facts presented are true, Carroll has done us all a great service for at least bringing this to light.
