Truth Rising at ACU Sparks Bold Conversation on Living with Courage and Clarity
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Arizona Christian University hosted a public screening of Truth Rising, the new documentary from the Colson Center and Focus on the Family. Students, families, pastors, and community members gathered in Rhode Auditorium for an evening focused on one pressing question: What does it look like to live with courage and conviction in a hostile and confused culture?
The 90-minute film was followed by a live audience panel discussion featuring John Stonestreet of the Colson Center, along with George Barna and Dr. Christina Crenshaw of the Cultural Research Center at ACU, moderated by ACU President Len Munsil. The discussion moved beyond commentary and challenged those in attendance to think seriously about responsibility, leadership and action.
Truth Rising explores the decline of Western civilization and examines today’s most contested issues through the stories of believers who chose courage over silence. Through personal testimony and cultural analysis, it makes the case that truth is not abstract. It shapes families, institutions, and the future of a nation.
When the film concluded, John Stonestreet reinforced that the cultural confusion we see today did not emerge overnight. What has changed is the pace and intensity of that confusion. He urged the audience to move past reactionary outrage and instead pursue thoughtful, grounded engagement. Courage, he explained, is not driven by emotion but by conviction anchored in truth. President Len Munsil facilitated the conversation with thought-provoking questions that prompted further discussion on what’s next for our country.
Dr. Crenshaw brought attention to the next generation. With a background in education and cultural apologetics, she spoke about Gen Z’s hunger for truth. Young people, she noted, are not afraid of truth. They are weary of confusion. She stressed that discipleship must move beyond surface-level answers and engage real questions about justice, identity, and meaning. Courage requires community, and students need mentors who model conviction with compassion.
George Barna added a research-based perspective to the conversation. As Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center and a leading voice in worldview assessment, Barna explained that the erosion of cultural consensus has followed the steady decline of biblical worldview formation across generations. Only a small percentage of American adults hold a consistent biblical worldview, and that reality explains much of the instability portrayed in the documentary.
The panel consistently returned to the importance of clarity, conviction, and community. Truth must be understood, lived, and passed on, and believers must stand firm without standing alone.
Hosting Truth Rising was not simply a screening. It was a reflection of ACU’s mission to equip followers of Christ to transform culture with truth. The evening made one message unmistakable. Cultural transformation does not begin with complaint – it begins with courage rooted in conviction.
