We’ve been busy filming across the country, yet we do hope to start catching up here in Behind-the-Scenes to share some of the amazing insights we’ve had during our months of production. We had the good fortune to spend time during our travels with our colleague, Steve Lipscomb. Steve offered to digitize his important and powerful documentary, Battle of the Minds, broadcast on POV/PBS in 1997 — which is now available for viewing after all these years — free of charge on You Tube (the link is at the end of this post). For many following the the Houston Chronicle’s recent coverage of the avalanche of abuses in Southern Baptist Convention church networks, Battle of the Minds is a relevant documentary today about SBC’s leadership.
The documentary profiles key leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention during the conservative take over of SBC back in the 1990s when women suddenly could no longer be preachers, and emphasis was placed on women’s need to submit to their husbands. Outraged, Jimmy Carter left the SBC after 70 years of membership. PBS writes, Battle of the Minds chronicles Steve’s “mother’s recent struggle to become a Southern Baptist pastor”, and how he “uncovered a whirlwind of change and a rising tide of opposition to women as senior church leaders. Part of a broader, highly-charged ideological debate, leading voices on both sides of the divide to speak out about practical interpretation of Biblical scripture and the contemporary role of women in the ministry.”
Many leaders featured in Battle of the Minds, still hold leadership positions today.
In part, our in-progress documentary, Baptizing Feminism, explores Christian feminist activists on the front lines challenging some of the same leaders featured in Battle of the Minds, and the male-headship theologies they believe contribute to the culture of abuse, sexism and abuse cover-ups in SBC churches and related networks.
Battle of the Minds, and Steve’s support of Baptizing Feminism, inspires us to forge ahead toward crafting a film that tells the stories of outspoken women and men pulling back the curtain on the power of the contemporary Christian patriarchy in such church networks and in our country, while exploring the voices of opposition. Baptizing Feminism also investigates how a handful of Bible scripture translations regarding gender roles stand at the heart of this all — with Christian feminists and egalitarian Christian biblical scholars standing strong in challenging what they believe to be patriarchal interpretations and misinterpretations by modern day evangelical and Christian leaders who say that God ordained men to lead.
PBS writes, Steve Lipscomb’s Battle of the Minds “uncovered a whirlwind of change and a rising tide of opposition to women as senior church leaders”. Battle of the Minds is a must watch film that brings viewers up front and close to the days when the seeds of the contemporary Christian patriarchy were planted and, many believe, the oppression of women began full force in the Southern Baptist church.
Steve has given us permission to upload his film for your viewing ( Our channel will eventually have behind-the-even clips of Baptizing Feminism, and other relevant videos).
You can view the entire film HERE