Educational Media Reviews Online

On New Year’s Eve 2010, Little Hope Baptist Church in Canton, Texas went up in flames. During the next few months, nine more Churches were burnt to the ground in a three county area in East Texas. Director Theo Love chronicles the anguish of the ten congregations as they try to put their communities back together and make sense out of the senselessness. We follow the investigators as they hunt for the culprits. Fifteen local and federal agencies (including Texas Rangers, FBI, and the ATF) worked the case for months, and Texas Governor Rick Perry personally inspected the 40 mile “war zone” that left so many Texans feeling violated.

Incorporating news footage of the burning churches and plenty of interviews with law enforcement, church members and the family of the arsonists, Love moves the story along at a quick pace: crime, investigation, arrest, trial, and sentencing. We also learn about the lives of the two young men who were finally caught and convicted of the crimes, as well as the impact their actions had on their families. The deeply held religious convictions that permeate the film may be too sentimental for some. But, the film explores more than just religious faith, delving into issues of family, forgiveness, honesty, and responsibility.

This film is recommended, and would be an interesting springboard for discussions on ethics, faith, church as community, and criminal justice.