Silhouette City

California Lutheran University will host a screening of a documentary on American religious extremism followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers. Using archival video, movement propaganda and original investigative material, Silhouette City tracks the movement of apocalyptic Christian nationalism from the margins to the mainstream.

The panel will include director Michael W. Wilson; producer Natalie Zimmerman; former Air Force Academy chaplain MeLinda Morton, who is featured in the film; Jonathan Kirsch, author of A History of the End of the World; CLU political science professor Jose Marichal, Ph.D.; and CLU religion professor Julia Fogg, Ph.D.

The film begins with the story of an obscure Christian survivalist group active in the 1970s and 1980s, as recounted by one of its former members, and then moves forward to the current post 9-11 era where startling ideological echoes are revealed and examined. In a period largely defined by religious violence, Silhouette City examines the motivations for adopting apocalyptic worldviews by providing a unique window into the foundational ideas, organizational structure and psychological dynamics of one of the most powerful movements taking root in America today. The documentary was selected for several festivals in 2008, including the Miami International Film Festival, San Francisco Documentary Film Festival and Chicago Underground Film Festival.