Politicians and their beliefs

Newport Beach resident Reed Dickens spent five years in the White House as an assistant press secretary to President George W. Bush — a world leader known for his evangelical Christian beliefs. Dickens is a producer of a new documentary film about faith and politics.

“This is a huge debate and we want to improve the quality of that debate,” Dickens said.

A veteran of Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential runs, Dickens believes the public debate on faith and politics has become more heated than ever before in the 2008 election cycle.

“Bush is known as an outspoken evangelical, but no one ever asked or knew that he was a Methodist,” Dickens said. “Never before have candidates been grilled about specific doctrinal issues. Scrutiny of the candidates’ faith is much more intense.”

The film “Article VI” features interviews with religious leaders and scholars of all faiths on the role of religion in American politics. The debate primarily centers around former Massachusetts governor and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, whose Mormon faith has come under scrutiny by the media and evangelical Christian groups. “Article VI” is being released nationally on DVD today, and it also will be released in theaters across the country in states with early presidential primaries.

The title of the film is a reference to Article VI of the Constitution: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

Mormon filmmaker Bryan Hall begins his narrative with a comparison of Romney to President John F. Kennedy. The late Catholic president faced scrutiny for his religious beliefs during the 1960 presidential election.

“In some way I now know what it felt like to be a Catholic in America in 1960,” Hall muses.

Shots of Hall, his wife and two children praying before a family meal are juxtaposed with television footage of political pundits spouting anti-Mormon rhetoric and speculating on the electability of Romney. The next hour and a half follows Hall as he interviews everyone from a Hindu holy man to a outspoken anti-Mormon Baptist minister.

Dickens got involved with the project after filmmakers Hall and Jack Donaldson initially approached Dickens’ Newport-based communications firm Outside Eyes to promote the film. The son of a preacher, Dickens became interested in taking a more active role in the project when he learned about the topic.

Although both filmmakers are Romney supporters from Utah and Dickens also is a Republican, the producer insists the project is nonpartisan, unbiased and ecumenical in its scope.

“We reigned each other in,” Dickens said. “We kept each other from going too far in one direction.”

For more information, or to buy a copy of the DVD, visit www.articlevithemovie.com.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.