Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (2020) set the Christian world afire with its account of the “evangelical warrior masculinity” that has led to increased marginalization of women. Now the book has inspired a new documentary titled For Our Daughters, prompted by the book’s final chapter titled “Evangelical Mulligans: A History.” The film recounts the numerous sexual harassment/abuse incidents in evangelical churches or ministries that were ignored, buried, excused or justified by blaming the victim. It began streaming free on Sept. 26.
For Our Daughters explores the culture of masculinity in the evangelical church via the voices of women who have faced ridicule and additional injury after coming forward with stories of sexual abuse and harassment by male leaders.
“I’ve been in this game long enough to not have a whole lot of hope, but I’m going to speak the truth anyway,” said Du Mez, in an interview with PW. “We can’t sweep these stories under the rug. We have a moral call to stand alongside these women who have given so much to make sure what happened to them doesn’t happen to other women and girls.”
For Our Daughters features interviews with Rachael Den Hollander, a former gymnast who exposed the abuses of Larry Nassar and is author of What Is a Girl Worth? One Woman’s Courageous Battle to Protect the Innocent and Stop a Predator—No Matter the Cost (2022); Cait West, whose book Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy (2024) reveals her escape from a patriarchal church and family; Jules Woodson, who came forward to reveal abuse by Andy Savage years before; and Christa Brown, abuse survivor and author of Baptistland: A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal and Transformation (2024).
“Men think they can get away with abuse because they actually can get away with it,” said Den Hollander in the 30-minute film that speaks boldly about the patriarchal culture that has invaded the evangelical church. In this culture, men lead and women follow in all areas of life.
Carl Byker, who directed the film, drew direct inspiration from the final chapter of Jesus and John Wayne, but also from deeper roots. He remembers watching members of his congregation putting ballots in a box to decide the church’s next minister. He asked his mother when she would put her ballot in.
“She replied, ‘Oh, women aren’t allowed to vote,” said Byker. “I was stunned because my mom was one of the smartest and most competent people I knew. That was the beginning of a life-long interest in why women like my mom have been marginalized by so many churches.”
He, Du Mez, and others, worked on the film for more than a year, planning it as the first piece in a mini-series or longer documentary based on the complete Jesus and John Wayne.
“We want viewers to think seriously about what enables these cultures of abuse and take a hard look at the theology and political choices [of these people,]” said Du Mez. “You do not want these men in charge of our country. We know what it’s like and it’s bloody awful.”
The film can be streamed free via a link on www.forourdaughtersfilm.com. There will soon be a link to Kinema to set up on-line screenings that allow viewers to see each other and talk about the film as they watch. The website includes a discussion guide, FAQs and resources for women and girls who have experienced abuse.
