“Constantine’s Sword,” the heavyweight indictment of the Catholic tradition’s fraught relationship and history with Judaism by National Book Award winner, Boston Globe journalist and novelist James Carroll (published in 2001 just before 9/11), releases in documentary form tonight in select cities nationwide.
I had the fortune of seeing the documentary version at a pre-screening held at Boston University (an event co-sponsored by both Jewish and Catholic organizations) well over a month ago. The timing of this screening was rather uncanny–I was teaching “Constantine’s Sword” (yes, all 700 some odd pages of it) in my Catholicism class at BU this semester–so my students and I went off to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity.
Given that “Constantine’s Sword” is a difficult read–it is an impressive work of history and quite an accomplishment if you can make it through–it was helpful to see this book brought to life (more or less) as a film. Aside from the awkward and rather forced framing of the documentary, with Carroll making pilgrimages to the important sites discussed in the book (there are a lot of shots of Carroll driving rented cars and looking reflectively off into the distance), it is a rather well-done adaptation. It is amazing to see the “cross at Auschwitz”–a central focus for Carroll, and the controversial iconic image that sparked this act of Catholic atonement on Carroll’s part–as well as other significant historical sites that Carroll speaks about in the book. If audiences are willing to forgive the blanket biases about evangelicals which come off as rather ironic in a film about interreligious dialogue and the need for respect between traditions (cue the Ted Haggard interviews–yes they got them, pre-scandal!), the documentary is worth a night out at the movies and perhaps might even spark you to embark on the journey that is ” Constantine’s Sword ” the book.
See New York Times movie critic Stephen Holden’s full review of the film by clicking here.
posted July 22, 2008 at 10:45 am
I am close to finish to read the book of james carrol, “constantine sword”. I used to be a catholic long time ago, and I was not happy with the past history of the vatican, and I believe there are many people still catholics and having great difficult to accept and understand why the Churchs drove themself in such horrible conduct to converts jews and gentiles in the past . I believe with the book of Constantine sword, The vatican most came clearly to respond to the world and jews a well develop plan to change their structure in order to get redemtion. In some way, they are more into keeping their tradition rather to bring the light that they loose long time ago. Everybody knows their wrong way in the past and everybody knows what they need to change, Why the vatican still are eager to keep their tradition rather to concentrate in change their structure. Are them more concern on people salvation or to save their tradition?.
I just want to express to James carroll book, constantine sword,it is a excelent book that many generation in the future will still read to find the true through the history and mistake of a great church that has drived crazy the world, and not just crazy also, bloody.