A new documentary celebrating the life and work of the late Walter Capps, a UC Santa Barbara professor of religious studies and public servant, is scheduled for a free online screening. The 75-minute film, “A Tribute to Walter H. Capps: Scholar, Teacher, Public Servant,” will be available via Zoom Webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m., hosted by UCSB’s Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life. Following the screening, a discussion will be held with the filmmakers and members of the Capps family, including his widow and former U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, and daughter Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps.
A significant portion of the documentary focuses on Capps's influential class, "The Impact of the Vietnam War on American Religion and Culture," which began in 1979 at UCSB's Campbell Hall. This course addressed the lingering controversies of the Vietnam War by bringing together diverse guest speakers, including veteran combat soldiers, prisoners of war, nurses, and conscientious objectors. Veteran Shad Meshad is quoted in the documentary saying the class was "life changing" and "set so many of those veterans free" by allowing them to share their experiences with students.
Beyond the Vietnam War course, Capps engaged students in difficult conversations across various subjects. His "Religion and Politics in America Today" class featured discussions with senators, high-level elected officials from both political parties, and national media pundits. In another course, "Voices of a Stranger," Capps introduced students to ethical dilemmas surrounding issues such as race, sexuality, disability, rape, incarceration, and addiction, often through guest speakers.
The idea for the documentary emerged from a 2023 celebration of Capps’s career that reunited many of his former colleagues and students in Santa Barbara. Greg Johnson, director of the Capps Center, stated that associate director Dusty Hoesly had the idea to record interviews with participants, which formed the foundation for the larger project. Johnson noted that the project created "a living archive of voices" to narrate Capps's story, encompassing the enjoyment of teaching and learning, the impact of civic involvement, and the human search for meaning. Locally produced by Black Diamond Productions and directed by company founder Julie Ross, the film spans Capps's life.
The documentary traces Capps’s journey from his birth in Nebraska during the Great Depression and his initial path toward ordained ministry, before he shifted to scholarly pursuits. He began teaching at UCSB’s nascent Department of Religious Studies in 1964, quickly becoming a pioneer in the field, particularly in Christian theology. His book, “Religious Studies: The Making of a Discipline,” published in 1995, is recognized as a foundational text in the discipline.
The film also covers Capps’s endeavors beyond academia, including his campaigns for a congressional seat and his unexpected death in 1997. His legacy of public service and his identity as a principled, compassionate humanist are further honored by the establishment of the Capps Center itself. Capps often emphasized a core belief, stating that "We are human beings first of all."
