Will Faith Do Us Part?

A spirit of ecumenism is at the heart of this documentary by David and Kathi Peters, which deals with the difficulties posed by marriages in which husband and wife come from—and are seriously devoted to—different Christian traditions. Though there is general commentary by Daniel Olsen, Director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Gwen White, a Philadelphia psychologist, the film is largely devoted to three case studies. The first follows Daniel and Bridget, one Protestant and the other Catholic, who prepare for their wedding by attending one another’s Sunday services. The second focuses on an older couple, Thomas and Amy, who, along with their children, must deal with their religious differences after she changes churches. The last leaves the United States for Wallhausen, Germany, where Prince Michael zu Salm-Salm and his wife Princess Philippa describe having to overcome centuries-old Catholic-Protestant hostility deriving from the Reformation in order to marry, as well as their work to bridge divisions among various Protestant denominations. The culmination of that effort is a conference in Münster, the city where a radical Anabaptist group was crushed by Christian armies in the sixteenth century; their representatives of different churches join in expressions of mutual respect and support. By focusing on specific couples the film successfully demonstrates that denominational differences need not be insuperable obstacles to a strong marriage, but it also offers a broader argument about overcoming those differences in a spirit of reciprocal understanding and ultimate unity. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)