The son of a Catholic Air Force officer, writer James Carroll had two heroes growing up — his father and the Roman Emperor Constantine. Based on the book by the same name, Constantine’s Sword (2007) interweaves the history of Christian violence and war with the personal narrative of how this history affected one man’s faith. Carroll — a former priest — recounts stories about his religious and moral upbringing and his slow realization of the contradictions between the two. Citing religious discrimination in the US Air Force Academy and the Catholic Church’s role in the Holocaust as examples, Constantine’s Sword sets out to prove that, indeed, no war is holy.

Sister Rose’s Passion (2004) is an Academy Award-nominated film about a Dominican nun's personal campaign against anti-Semitism in the Catholic faith. For more information, visit http://www.storyville.org.

In addition to being honored by the Academy and Tribeca Film Festival, director Oren Jacoby has won CINE Golden Eagles, the Royal Television Society (UK) journalism award, and the MacArthur Golden Owl award. Constantine’s Sword is a New York Times Critics’ Pick.

This event is sponsored by Columbia University's Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration, and Religion.

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