portrait of an american zealot (1982)

Synopsis

Dubbing himself a religious-political activist, Ed McAteer resigned from a successful corporate career to devote his marketing expertise to promoting conservative Christianity. As president of the Religious Roundtable, McAteer is seen meeting with black and white religious leaders of different faiths to mobilize their efforts in the service of God and the country. Through snatches of his conversations with U.S. senators, viewers hear McAteer lobbying against abortion; his opinions on school busing, ERA, sex education, and eternal life surface when he addresses public groups, converses with Jerry Falwell and other associates in the movement, prays with his family, or privately reflects in voice-over. Controversy over the conservative right's stance on poverty and on nuclear proliferation is alluded to by one unaligned minister, while the movement's purported embrace of Jews and Israel is laid open to skepticism by Reverend Bailey Smith's contentious remarks. The support and backgrounds of two leading financiers of the cause are noted, and viewers are impressed with the increasingly aggressive role of the media in bringing the gospel to the people. Traversing the country with the influential, indefatigable McAteer, the camera matches the subject's drive with their own verve and ingenuity, while hymns and gospel rock augments the tempo and flavor of the coverage. This adeptly executed, objective study of the power, platforms and people of the conservative right will be revealing for supporters and detractors alike in public libraries, community and religious groups, and schools.