We meet a man named Scott Butcher, who runs the web site Rapture Letters, which provides a service for the faithful should they be taken to heaven in their living bodies upon the return of Jesus Christ (what Christians call "The Rapture," as prophesied in the Book of Revelations).

The film concludes with Flemming interviewing Dr. Ronald Sipus, Superintendent of Village Christian Schools. We also learn that Flemming himself was once a fundamentalist Christian (as was I, before converting to Judaism) but is now an atheist. Flemming attempts a Michael Moore ambush with Sipus, trying to get him to admit that what he believes, and what the school teaches, cannot be proven by science. I'd say that's a given, as it's the nature of faith, is it not? You cannot prove the existence of God. And while Village Christian Schools does teach its 1800 students what could be described as extreme fundamentalism, Flemming tries to make the argument that it's wrong. It may be wrong, to him, but obviously parents have the right to send their children to any private school they want to, so Flemming's point is moot.

The God Who Wasn't There has moments of clarity, and the interviewees all have interesting opinions. Ultimately, the film fails in its mission to delve into the subject of the historical Jesus, and we only get brief moments that do so. Flemming had a good idea, but failed in its execution.

DVD extras include over an hour of extended interviews, a very helpful slide show that features a lot of great material that should have been covered in more depth in the film, as well as commentary from biblical scholar Earl Doherty (who really should have been interviewed in the film) and "Godless" commentary from scientist Richard Dawkins and blogger The Raving Atheist.

For a better, more in-depth overview of the history of Christianity, I recommend Burton Mack's Who Wrote The New Testament, which covers some of the same ground as The God Who Wasn't There and expands greatly on what was discussed in the film.

Brian Flemming has made a good stab at a complicated subject, but in the end fails to go beneath the surface of his material. For someone who has never studied the history of Christianity, this film will provide a basic foundation of that history. It just could have been done in a more substantial way.

** out of ****