Problems beset an earnest pastor (David A.R. White) as the state university on the campus of which his church stands (led, among others, by Ted McGinley) invokes eminent domain to force his congregation to move. The ensuing controversy causes a riled-up student (Mike C. Manning) to commit an act of vandalism on the sanctuary that has unintended but disastrous consequences. Forgiveness and reconciliation are the foremost themes in writer-director Michael Mason’s drama, the second sequel to 2014’s “God’s Not Dead,” which sees the clergyman reaching out to his estranged brother (John Corbett), a lawyer, for representation in his court battle. A less strident tone and a timely message about intemperate political and cultural discourse may recommend this follow-up to at least some viewers outside its built-in audience, though a momentary treatment of divorce in the dialogue requires discernment on the part of Catholic moviegoers.
Watch out for: Brief violence with slight gore.
Rated: A-II, adults and adolescents; MPAA: PG
