God's Not Dead 2

God’s Not Dead 2 puts Christianity back on trial, but moves the setting from a university philosophy class—where God’s Not Dead transpired—into a courtroom. (Since several characters return in the sequel, viewers unfamiliar with the original film should see it first.) God’s Not Dead 2 (rated PG for thematic elements) unabashedly aspires to prove that Jesus is alive, but also that worthwhile storytelling need not conform to Hollywood’s bawdy blueprint. Real suspense, quality acting, and clean dialogue buttress a plainspoken message.

In her public high-school history class, Brooke (Hayley Orrantia) asks her teacher, Grace (Melissa Joan Hart), a question about Jesus. Grace quotes the Bible in her response, setting off a firestorm of protests. The school’s principal (Robin Givens) suspends Grace without pay, and the ACLU sues Grace for damages on behalf of Brooke’s parents.

A hostile judge, the plaintiffs’ hateful atheist attorney (Ray Wise), and angry community members heap scorn on Grace—a single woman who cares for her ailing grandfather (Pat Boone). But she rejects an offer of reinstatement contingent upon a retraction of her beliefs: “I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.”

Much of the film takes place in court. Playing themselves, authors Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) and James Wallace (a former Los Angeles homicide detective who wrote Cold-Case Christianity) testify in Grace’s defense, providing compelling arguments for the historicity of Jesus and His resurrection. The film’s side stories, including a subpoena demanding pastors turn over their sermons to government officials (reminiscent of recent events in Houston), neatly merge as the well-paced film progresses.

The emphasis on Scripture, prayer, and apologetics in the film might cause some viewers outside the faith to bristle, but the dramatic and cogent production will leave others—especially young nonbelievers—wondering if, perhaps, God’s not dead.