Christian films have been getting a big boost the last few years, and a new Christian film set to release this summer will be exploring a dystopian America where Bibles are banned and Christian worship is forced to go underground. “Disciples in the Moonlight” is due to be released through Pinnacle Peak Pictures and Fathom Events. The film’s synopsis states that the events of the film “[take] place in the not-too-distant future after the government has banned the Bible for its ‘offensiveness’ and replaced it with a government-approved version.” Due to the ban on bibles, “A small group of Christians are recruited to smuggle God’s Word to underground churches throughout the Midwest. With a ruthless federal agent in hot pursuit, the believers must choose between following the law or honoring and trusting God.”

The film stars Brett Varvel, who also directed the film. He sat with CBN to discuss the film and the inspiration behind its dark but prescient premise. He called the film a “love letter to the church of Jesus Christ.” He noted that in America, there exist many privileges when it comes to worship, something that has developed “apathy” in the American church. “And, so, for me, it was this exploration of why is that the case — why is it in a land where we have so much freedom, we take so much for granted? Why are we not bold in our faith? Why are we ashamed of the Gospel? Why are we ashamed to even pronounce the name of Jesus as our only hope and our Savior?” said Varvel. He stated he wanted his audience to return to a common understanding of truth. “From the beginning, I wanted to lift high the Word of God as absolute authority, and something that we should hold highly as absolute truth. But, then also, the name of Jesus Christ, which is the only name under heaven given to mankind whereby we might be saved,” he said.

The film comes at a time when Christianity is in decline across the United States and the Western world. A Pew Research Center model predicted that Christianity could be a minority religion in the US by 2070. Christians such as Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker come under fire for espousing traditional Christian values about gender roles and masculinity and some lose their jobs over their values, such as two flight attendants who claim they were fired from their jobs due to their beliefs on gender identity. In other parts of the western world, such as England, church attendance has plummeted and is being replaced more and more by Islam to the point where prominent atheist Richard Dawkins lamented the loss of Christian Western traditions. “Disciples in the Moonlight” premieres July 24 for a limited 5 day release.