A new documentary streaming this month examines the impact of removing Bibles from U.S. public schools and the legal and educational alternatives for families seeking to give students access to biblical instruction during the school day.
Titled Off School Property: Solving the Separation of Church and State, the film from LifeWise Academy explores the constitutional boundaries of religious expression in education, focusing on “released time religious instruction,” a long-standing legal framework that allows students, with parental permission, to attend off-campus Bible classes during school hours. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Nate Lundquist, the documentary enters a renewed national debate over religious liberty, parental rights and the role of faith in public education.
Legal disputes over Ten Commandments displays in classrooms, taxpayer-funded religious charter schools, and faith-based curriculum initiatives highlight the relevance and urgency of the issue raised in the documentary, according to producers.
The documentary is set to stream on Angel Studios for Angel Guild members on Jan. 15, following its nationwide debut in 700 theaters on Oct. 23, 2025. The theatrical release reportedly already led to conversations about faith in education and religious liberty in churches, school districts and parent groups, producers say.
“This isn’t about forcing faith on anyone,” said director Nate Lundquist. “It’s about restoring parents’ rights and reminding America that removing faith from education had consequences. The film shows that there is a lawful, respectful way to give families the option to include Scripture in their children’s education again.”
The documentary reviews common misconceptions about the so-called separation of church and state and explains why released-time religious instruction has repeatedly been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as constitutional.
It involves interviews with historians, educators, parents and students,including renowned cultural researcher George Barna, the Director of Research at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center, and podcaster and author Alisa Childers, a former member of the all-female Christian music group ZOEgirl.
“We made this film to educate, equip and encourage parents who sense something has been missing from their children’s education,” said Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy.Families are searching for answers, and “they’re searching for hope,” according to Penton.
“This film doesn’t just explain what went wrong. It shows a practical, constitutional path forward that is already working in communities across the country,” he added.
