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Filmography - Christianity: D - H

Titles available on DVD and Streaming video as of October 2013

Christianity

Titles available on DVD and streaming video as of  October 2013

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

This is a selective list of video holdings in the American University Library. Filmographies are created by doing multiple keyword searches in the ALADIN catalog to capture as many titles on a topic as possible.  All DVDs listed below are located in Media Services on the Lower Level of Bender Library. To search the library’s complete videos holdings on prison topics (including VHS tapes) search the library catalog at: http://www.american.edu/library/mediaservices/index.cfm

A dangerous promise: Revelation and history. 2006.  Promises and Paradoxes: Reconciling Christian Ideals with History.  1 streaming video file   (44 min.). While some belief systems view life on Earth as cyclical, Christianity sees it as linear, with an ending distinguished by cataclysm, resurrection, and divine judgment. This program maps out the spread of the New Testament concept of apocalypse from the days of Paul through the 20th century and addresses the impact of apocalypticism on history. The genesis of monotheism and attempts by Thomas More and others to envision and even implement utopian societies are presented as well. Streaming video.
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The Dark Ages and the millennium: Christianity in the 9th and 10th centuries. 2007.  Two Thousand Years: The History of Christianity.  1 streaming video file   (48 min.). Part one of this program probes the nature of Christian prayer, questioning Eastern reliance on icons rather than the Word, as in the West. Were the incessant attacks on Constantinople by Islamic and Bulgar forces a divine judgment for idolatrous behavior? Part two chronicles the chaos in Europe that broke out with the death of Charlemagne and the approach of the millennium. The ensuing political instability, combined with the questionable Cadaver Synod and fears of the Apocalypse, stood in stark contrast to the efforts of the Peace of God movement and the Abbey of Cluny to maintain order. Streaming video.
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The dead and the dying. 2006.  Every Picture Tells a Story: Artistic Themes Through the Ages.  1 streaming video file   (26 min.). Expressing a dead body, wrote Leon Baptista Alberti, in 1435, "is one of the most difficult things in the world." This program examines the portrayal of death in art, from ancient times to the post-World War II era. Sarcophagi, paintings, sculptures, funerary statuary, news photos, cinema, mixed media, and a living pieta reveal the intricacies and nuances of rendering incidents of natural, accidental, and violent death, including Jesus' crucifixion. The impacts of Christianity on modern figurative painting and of historical watersheds such as the First World War and the Holocaust on old notions of death are explored as well. Streaming video.
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The Devil we know: An objective look at the Prince of Darkness. 2012.  1 streaming video file   (48 min.). Where does the familiar image of Satan come from? Does it predate the writing of the Bible? Or did the Devil's persona develop after the New Testament and organized Christianity appeared? This absorbing documentary sheds new light on the Prince of Darkness by examining his manifestations in various religious traditions, in literature and the arts, and in our collective psychology. Experts in theology, history, and culture share their knowledge of Satan's evolution through the centuries, discussing ancient Hebrew scriptures and apocryphal narratives, the influence of pagan imagery (such as horns and a pitchfork) on medieval concepts of the Devil, and the development of the Catholic rites of exorcism. Other topics include cinematic portrayals of demons and devils, the interplay between racial and religious issues in the Faustian legend of bluesman Robert Johnson, mass hysteria about satanic cults during the 1980s, and more . Streaming video.
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Did Darwin kill God?  2010.  1 streaming video file   (52 min.). In this program, philosopher and theologian Conor Cunningham argues that only extremist viewpoints-Creationism and ultra-Darwinism-make evolution and religion mutually exclusive. Experts from across the gamut of opinions frame the debate and trace its origins, including Father Gregory Tatum of the Ecole Biblique; University of Oxford historian Pietro Corsi; Darwin scholar Nick Spencer, author of Darwin and God; "Answers in Genesis" lecturer Terry Mortenson; Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project; philosophers Daniel Dennett and Michael Ruse; Susan Blackmore, author of The Meme Machine; and University of Cambridge paleobiologist Simon Conway Morris. Streaming video.
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The disputation: A theological debate between Christians and Jews. 1986.  1 videodisc (65 min.). Dramatization of a public theological debate between Christians and the Jews, where Moses ben Nachman defended his Jewish faith against Pablo Christiani, leader of the Christian side. DVD 8659

Driven to defiance. 2012.  Empires: Martin Luther.  1 streaming video file   (60 min.). Martin Luther was born into a world dominated by the Catholic church-and for the keenly spiritual Luther, the church's promise of salvation was irresistible. Driven to Defiance tells the story of a man caught in a thunderstorm, vowing to become a monk, only to realize his ultimate skepticism of the church. His views crystallize even further with a trip to Rome where he finds that the capital of Catholicism is swamped in corruption, and Luther attacks its practice of selling Indulgences in the famous 95 Theses. In less than ten years, he plunges a knife into the heart of an empire that had ruled for a thousand years, setting in motion a revolution that would reshape Western civilization. But the tale is also intensely human, as the film portrays a man who hurtles from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph and back again. Streaming video.
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Enigma of the Dead Sea Scrolls. 200.  1 videodisc (58 min.). The Dead Sea scrolls, discovered in 1947 by a shepherd boy, are the oldest known Biblical manuscripts in existence, offering insight into the birth of Christianity. Yet since their discovery, scholars have kept the exact contents of these documents a closely guarded secret. Why? Enigma of the Dead Sea scrolls examines this controversy. DVD 7469

The Episcopal Church. 2008.  I BELIEVE-with Dennis Wholey.  1 streaming video file   (28 min.). In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about the Episcopal Church with the Right Reverend Chester L. Talton, Bishop Suffragan of Los Angeles. Topics of discussion include the birth of the Episcopal Church in America, the theological focal point of the religion, the roles of the Presiding Bishop and Bishop Suffragans, the relationship between the Episcopal and Anglican Churches, and the Episcopal Church's stance on the ordination of women and gays and the sanctification of same-sex unions. In addition, the Reverend Canon Joanna Satorius of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, in Los Angeles, California, tours viewers through the Cathedral. Streaming video.
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Essentials of faith Christianity. 2006.  Essentials of Faith.  1 streaming video file   (24 min.). Beliefs spelled out in the Apostle's Creed link Christians around the world-but in practice, the faith has fractured. This program presents views from five insightful and widely differing believers who reveal their thoughts on conflict and harmony within Christianity. The participants are Terry Waite, author, humanitarian, and former hostage in Beirut; Ann Widdecombe, conservative British politician and Catholic convert; the Reverend Joel Edwards, General Director of the U.K. Evangelical Alliance; Bishop Richard Holloway, author of Godless Morality: Keeping Religion out of Ethics; and Alison Elliot, the first woman to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Streaming video.
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Evangelical Protestantism. 2008.  I BELIEVE-with Dennis Wholey.  1 streaming video file   (28 min.). In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Evangelical Protestantism with Senior Pastor Lon Solomon of McLean Bible Church, in McLean, Virginia. Topics of discussion include what it means to accept Jesus Christ as one's savior and messiah; how Pastor Solomon, raised Jewish, was himself born again in Christ; McLean's mission to impact secular Washington, D.C., with the message of Christ; and the use of the Internet to help spread the Church's message. In addition, the way in which the interior of an evangelical mega-church like McLean shapes the experience of congregants is described by Denny Harris, director of ministry operations. Streaming video.
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Faith and form: Exploring the physical aspects of religion. 2011.  1 streaming video file   (14 min.). If God exists, why is there so much suffering? What happens after you die? Does God hear our prayers? In this program a panel of teens pose the hard questions to a Catholic pilgrimage leader, a Sufi Muslim practitioner, and an Anglican minister as together they examine the relationship between the physical world and the spiritual. The group find areas of agreement between Christianity and Islam, and also places where the two faiths differ. They discuss religious art and idolatry, compare pilgrimage to Lourdes with pilgrimage to Mecca as well as with the inner journey, and discuss ways in which God or Allah is present in the world. Streaming video.
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Faith, politics, and tradition. 2006.  Conversations with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury:    1 streaming video file   (26 min.). This straight-talking program seeks to understand if religious belief can be reconciled with the changing values of modern life. Archbishop Rowan Williams argues that religion must suit a modern audience by changing the way it communicates its message-a point disputed by conservative historian Jonathan Clark, who believes the forces of modernity should be resisted. Reformist Muslim Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Islamic adviser to George W. Bush, submits that the West lacks acceptance of Islam despite Muslims' tolerance of Christianity. A valuable dialogue between representatives of major religious entities searching for mutual knowledge. Streaming video.
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Fighting intolerance and slavery: Christianity in the 17th and 18th centuries. 2007.  Two Thousand Years   1 streaming video file   (48 min.). Part one of this program traces the spread of Christianity via the Puritans to North America. Victims of intolerance in the Old World, the emigres swiftly proved intolerant of others in the New World, leaving it to the Quakers to promote the religious freedom later associated with the United States. Part two outlines the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions, the Methodism of John Wesley, and the concept of human rights. How had the un-Christian institution of slavery endured so long in France, England, and, most notably, in egalitarian America?  Streaming video.
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The First Christianity. 2011.  A History of Christianity.  1 streaming video file   (60 min.). This program brings viewers to exceptional sacred sites throughout the Near East and Asia to trace the first expansion of Christianity from Jerusalem - which was not to Rome with Paul, but to Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Armenia, and Ethiopia. After the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD followers of Jesus fled to Asia Minor, establishing a thriving ecclesiastical community at least 100 years before Constantine made Christianity Rome's official religion. The video highlights the significance of the Syriac Orthodox Church and discusses differences between Eastern and Roman imperial Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the impact of Islam in Syria. It covers the rule and the rivalries of Constantine, Nestorius, Cyril, and Timothy I; the Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon; and a stronghold of the faith even further east of Rome: the powerful Baghdad-based Nestorian Church, whose dominion by the 8th century included parts of India and China. Streaming video.
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First steps into the unknown. 2006.  The Face of the World: A History of Human Exploration.  1 streaming video file   (30 min.). Carved in stone or scratched in clay, the first maps appeared at least 5,000 years ago. This program chronicles the rise of geographical awareness-manifested not only in crude cartography, but also through word of mouth and narratives such as Homer's Odyssey and the Viking sagas. Clearly illustrating the forces behind navigational learning and excursions into the unknown, this program presents scholarly commentary on the abilities of Roman and medieval armies to travel across Europe, Christianity's Jerusalem-centric world view, and the emergence of Portugal as a leader in seafaring technology. Streaming video.
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Fish out of water. 2009.  1 videodisc (60 min.). Director Dickens explores the contentious issue of faith, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. DVD 7700. Streaming video.
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For a thousand tongues to sing! Life and hymns of Charles Wesley. 2010.  1 streaming video file   (55 min.). Between 1738 and 1788, Charles Wesley wrote more than 9,000 hymns and sacred poems, work which earned him the title "The Sweet Bard of Methodism." This program recounts Wesley's life and life's work, with special attention to his better-known songs, such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Scholars of music and theology speak about Wesley's childhood, education, and missionary work; explore the roots of his passion for hymn-writing; and demonstrate how Wesley's impressive body of work consistently embraced astute references to Scripture, poetic language, and personal experience. Streaming video.
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For the Bible tells me so. 2007.  1 videodisc (98 min.). Brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and reveals that religious anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a misinterpretation of the Bible. Through the experiences of five very normal, Christian, American familes - including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson - discover how people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child or family member. AU Home Use Collection DVD 4579

Fornication: Religious perspective. 2006.  Sex and religion.  1 streaming video file   (37 min.). Whether viewed as a spiritual matter of immorality or a secular concern with maintaining family lineage, premarital and extramarital sex have caused consternation since ancient times. In this program, theologians Melissa Raphael and Gavin D'Costa, author Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, and others explain what constitutes adultery and talk about how Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism regard women, virginity, chastity, promiscuity, prostitution, and polygamy. In addition, punishments that may await people in this life or hereafter who engage in fornication are described. Contains mature themes and explicit language and imagery. Streaming video.
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Friends of God. 2007.  1 videodisc (56 min.). "In this slice-of-life exploration, Pelosi travels the red states to meet a dizzying array of open and forthright evangelicals, representing a broad sampling of the community. Her up-close and personal encounters range from Joel Osteen to pastor Ted Haggard to Jerry Falwell himself. Evangelical Christians living in America today have become a formidable force in our culture and democracy-- Pelosi travels across the heartland to try to learn more about what their influence may mean for the future of our country."--Container. DVD 3900

From Jesus to Christ. 1998.  1 streaming video file   (60 min.). Part two of the series From Jesus to Christ explores the period after the crucifixion of Jesus by tracing the beginnings of the "Jesus Movement", as Christianity was first called in its early years. Drawing upon historical evidence and archeological finds as well as engaging interviews, we learn that the early Christians branched out spreading their message to non-Jews, while the Apostle Paul, in approximately 50 CE, travelled away from the traditional centers of the Jesus Movement to found new churches in Greco-Roman cities. In fact, Paul's letters to these fledgling congregations mark the first writings of the New Testament. Meanwhile, spiraling tensions between Jews and Rome would culminate in a catastrophic Jewish revolt against Rome, propelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple - the center of Jewish spiritual life. This film presents a rare and compelling glimpse at early Christianity. Streaming video.
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The Future of religion. 2006.  Promises and Paradoxes: Reconciling Christian Ideals with History.  1 streaming video file   (44 min.). The history of the three religions of the Book is a convoluted story of deep-seated hostilities relieved by all-too-brief periods of coexistence and cooperation. Filmed from a Christian perspective, this program looks at the sectarian and interdenominational clashes that have bloodied the centuries while pointing out efforts to achieve a lasting, mutually supportive peace. As the world enters the era of globalization, will the age-old animosities finally be put aside for the good of humankind-and in the name of the selfsame God they all revere? Streaming video.
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The Garden of Eden: Ecology, stewardship, and Christianity. 2006.  Promises and Paradoxes: Reconciling Christian Ideals with History.  1 streaming video file   (44 min.). In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Divided into segments paralleling the biblical days of creation, this highly visual program is a gentle call for stewardship of a world that has suffered great exploitation at the hands of humankind. Examples of unhealthy practices and thoughtless actions are paralleled by initiatives to improve the planet, including environmentally friendly power generation and high-efficiency automobiles. Streaming video.
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German Lutheran Churches. 2006.  Building Faith: Sacred Architecture.  1 streaming video file   (25 min.). When Lutheranism was born, the need for a new style of church was born along with it. Drawing on architectural examples from Germany and North America, this video connects principles of Lutheranism-for example, that everyone in the congregation should be able to see and hear everything that goes on in a service-to church shape, seating arrangement, and the placement of the altar, the pulpit, and the baptismal font. The religion's Roman Catholic roots are examined as well, in order to see how they influenced the design of these churches. Streaming video.
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Go forth: From creation to Abraham. 2011.  Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses.  1 streaming video file   (56 min.). Beginning in Mesopotamia, the cradle of Western civilization, this program follows author Bruce Feiler as he explores the landscape of the Old Testament and traces the emergence of the Jewish people in history. From the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, where the Bible's storytellers set the Garden of Eden, Feiler proceeds to Mt. Ararat in search of Noah's ark, travels to the town where some believe Abraham was born, and visits the ancient ruins of Harran, where the Bible says God told Abraham to "go forth" to the Promised Land. Following the path that Abraham may have taken, Feiler stops to examine salt formations associated with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah before venturing on to Jerusalem's sacred Temple Mount, the spot at which the patriarch underwent his ultimate test of faith. Streaming video.
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God and the constitution. 2008.  In Search of the Constitution   1 streaming video file   (60 min.). Dr. Martin Marty, a professor of the history of modern Christianity at the University of Chicago, and Leonard Levy, editor of The Encyclopedia of the American Constitution and a professor of humanities and history at the Claremont Graduate School in California, examine the legality of school prayer. The program also explores the issues of religious symbols on municipal property as well as tax-exempt status for religious institutions. Streaming video.
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God on Trial. 2011.  A History of Christianity   1 streaming video file   (59 min.). For more than a millennium Western civilization looked to the Church for answers to questions about life's meaning. But for many, acceptance of ecclesiastical doctrine wasn't enough. This program traces the roots of modern religious skepticism back over 400 years to examine both the unraveling and the endurance of Christian belief. It explores challenges to established theologies in the ideas of Spinoza, Newton, and Voltaire and in the ideals of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the Victorian era and considers erosion of faith in the 20th century caused by the impact of World War I and political totalitarianism. The video goes to Auschwitz, the Vatican, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields to consider how the Holocaust, the Second Vatican Council, and late-20th-century social change further weakened Church authority in the West, even as Christian congregations grow elsewhere around the world. Streaming video.
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God’s warriors. 2007.  3 videodiscs (360 min.). God's Warriors is a three-part CNN documentary produced by Christiane Amanpour in which she compares the rise of religious fundamentalism as a political force in the world. The documentary focuses on the three major monotheistic religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. DVD 3089-3091.

The God who wasn't there. 2005.  1 videodisc (62 min.). Holding modern Christianity up to a bright spotlight, this bold new film demands answers to the questions few dare to ask. Your guide through the world of Christendom is former fundamentalist Brian Flemming, who examines believers and their beliefs. DVD 10960.

The Godly family Protestantism in the home. 2009.  The Protestant Revolution   1 streaming video file   (60 min.). Martin Luther's most effective strike against the Church may have been his decision to marry. This program shows how Luther's radical choice and the Protestant movements of the 16th and 17th centuries transformed Western attitudes toward sex, love, marriage, gender roles, and family life. Viewers will learn about the contributions of several historical figures, including Thomas Cranmer's versions of the Book of Common Prayer, the misogynist rhetoric of John Knox, Richard Baxter's unexpected marriage and its implications, and the straitlaced culture promoted by Queen Victoria. The progression away from Victorian strictures and the inclusion of women and gays in the clergy are also studied. Streaming video.
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The Grand invention Christianity. 2007.  The Golden Thread: The Tie that Binds the Religions of the Book? 1 streaming video file   (60 min.). At the moment of Paul's conversion, the former persecutor of the Christians became one of the most avid defenders of the faith-and, in a way, the inventor of what came to be recognized as the Christian religion. Empowered by his revelatory vision, Paul acted independently to found the first Christian communities, but his efforts did not proceed smoothly. This program follows the travels and trials of Paul as he evangelized his way through the ancient world. In addition, Judaism and popular sects of paganism are considered within the context of early Christianity, the concept of Christian martyrdom is explored, and the transfiguration of Christianity from object of Roman persecution to state-sponsored religion of Rome is examined. Streaming video.
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The Great yearning of heretics and saints. 2006.  Promises and Paradoxes: Reconciling Christian Ideals with History   1 streaming video file   (44 min.). As in times past, many people today still believe that spirituality provides the deepest level of meaning to life. Profiling Augustine of Hippo, Hildegard von Bingen, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Martin Luther, Waldo, and Mother Teresa, this program explains how devoted seekers of God's truth-saints? reformers? heretics?-have altered the course of Christianity. The inspirational power of pilgrimages to holy sites such as Lourdes and Taize is also discussed. Streaming video.
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The Greek Orthodox church. 2008.  I BELIEVE-with Dennis Wholey.  1 streaming video file   (28 min.). In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about the Greek Orthodox Church with Father Stephen Callos of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Topics of discussion include primary distinctions between Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism; similarities and differences among the Greek, Russian, and other Orthodox Churches; the Orthodox view of the incarnation of Jesus; and marriage and celibacy within the Church. In addition, the religious iconography at Saints Constantine and Helen is explained by Bible study leader Irene Theodore. Streaming video.
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Guilt and suffering in Christianity: Elaine Pagels. 2012.  1 streaming video file   (52 min.). What's worse: to do something wrong and be punished for it, or to be punished for something that you didn't do at all? This problem is at the heart of some of our deepest questions about God and humanity, sin and justice, damnation and grace. In this program with Bill Moyers, Elaine Pagels speaks about how the early Christians faced the realities of suffering and guilt, and how their answers still affect us today. A professor of religion at Princeton University, Pagels finds in the story of Adam and Eve more than a parable from ancient faiths; in Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, she explores what the old story of the Garden of Eden reveals about our attitudes toward sexuality, politics, suffering and guilt, and the roles of men and women in Western society. Streaming video.
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Handmaids of the Gods: Divine women. 2012.  1 streaming video file   (50 min.). In this program, Bettany Hughes explores the lost era of the priestess as she explains the primacy of women in classical religion and in early Christianity. Visiting the Acropolis and other key sites, Hughes describes aspects of Aphrodite that go beyond gentle love goddess and discovers that Sappho may have been a priestess as well as a poet. She also discusses ancient Rome, where the fate of the world was believed to lie in the hands of six sacred virgins, and learns the truth about the centuries of Christian doctrine that forbid women to become priests. A BBC Production. Part of the series Divine Women. (48 minutes). Streaming video.
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Heaven. 2006.  Judgment Day: Images of Heaven and Hell.  1 streaming video file   (24 min.). Incorporating works of art from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and other traditions, this program examines the evolution of the concept of heaven and how it has been depicted since ancient times. Luca Signorelli's fresco Coronation of the Elect, at Orvieto Cathedral; Fra Angelico's altarpiece Last Judgment; an illustration of paradise in a Persian manuscript by Aqa Mirak; an image of heaven from a medieval Hebrew Bible; and a Wheel of Life thangka are spotlighted, along with an illustration of the Egyptian Field of Reeds, a fragment of Roman fresco depicting the Elysian Fields, Bruegel the Elder's The Land of Cockaigne, Stanley Spencer's Resurrection at Cookham, and Tracy Emin's fabric wall hanging Meet Me in Heaven. Streaming video.
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Heaven: How five religions see it. 2012.  1 streaming video file   (90 min.). Throughout history human beings have dreamed of heaven, built their lives around it, and even killed for their particular religion's version of the hereafter. This program explores the concept of heaven according to some inspiring followers of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. Viewers meet a Catholic priest working with gangs, an unusual Thai Buddhist monk, a Hindu priest who is also a hydraulics engineer, Sufi dervishes, and the remarkable Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan. The video includes expert commentary about the historical evolution of the notion of heaven. With Diana Eck (professor of comparative religion, Harvard University), Alan Segal (professor of religion, Columbia University), and Carol Zaleski (professor of world religions, Smith College). Streaming video.
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Hell house. 2003.  1 videodisc (86 min.). "Just outside of Dallas, Texas a violent haunted house is serving as the pulpit for a modern-day fire and brimstone sermon. Taking the viewer behind the scenes, this documentary examines why this small town church has resorted to such graphic means of saving souls and allows us a brief glimpse of what they believe they're saving us from"--Filmmaker's website. DVD 4635.  

Heresy, war, and the black death: Christianity in the 13th and 14th centuries. 2007.  Two Thousand Years: The History of Christianity.  1 streaming video file   (48 min.). Part one of this program follows the dual enterprises of constructing cathedrals and stamping out heresy. Buildings of unprecedented grandeur exemplified the power and influence of the Church in Europe, as did the systematic destruction of the heretic Cathars. Part two covers King Philip IV of France's defiance of Church authority and the Black Death. Although the Pope declared the Plague a judgment by God, rumors of a Jewish plot were rife, leading to anti-Semitic massacres in Germany and elsewhere. Streaming video.
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Holy Days: Christian and Jewish feasts and rituals. 2006.  Religion: A World History.  1 streaming video file   (59 min.) . Christmas, Easter, Passover, Yom Kippur, Bar or Bas Mitzvah, and other significant feasts and rituals of the Christian and Jewish faiths are discussed in this program. Jesus is shown as the role model for Christian behavior as exhibited by the early martyrs and saints. Protestantism's rejection of saints as religious icons is examined. The spiritual characters of specific modern "saints," including Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Sister Emmanuelle, are examined. Streaming video.
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Holy Dust: Shattered hopes in Bethlehem. 2012.  1 streaming video file   (70 min.). Since the dawn of Christianity, Bethlehem has been one of the holiest places of pilgrimage. But after years of intifada, the pilgrims no longer come. Life for Bethlehem's residents has become a mass of contradictions. They live in one of the best funded Palestinian cities but lack basic facilities. This documentary looks at the history of Bethlehem through the lives of four residents. Today, the problems of daily life seem insurmountable for these people. With conditions steadily getting worse, some residents have left the city. Photographed over the last seven years, this high-quality film reveals how hopes at the dawn of the millennium have soured. Streaming video.
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Holy Week in Jerusalem. 2010.  1 streaming video file   (105 min.). In this novel approach to understanding the supporting characters of the Easter story, a drama workshop is set up to reenact the events of Holy Week. In order to portray their characters, not as legends or according to 2,000-year-old stereotypes, but as human beings whom we need to understand, the actors discuss the character, motivation, and feelings of the people involved in and affected by the death and resurrection of Jesus. As they explore the nature, depth, and relevance of the Easter story through the eyes of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, Thomas, and Simon Peter, they provide a useful stimulus for exploring the central implications of the Christian faith. Streaming video.
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Homosexuality: Religious perspective. 2006.  Sex and Religion.  1 streaming video file   (37 min.). Throughout history, homosexuality has been censured by some of the world's major religions-and often punished to the severest degree. This program studies the scriptures and doctrines of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to understand why, and then contrasts their stances with those of Hinduism, Sikhism, and the Rome of Hadrian. A compassionate and compelling discussion of gay marriage and child adoption by gay couples involving the Reverend Richard Kirker, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement; Rabbi Chaim Rapoport; and others is featured. Genetic predisposition toward homosexuality is considered, and homosexual acts in the animal world, as they relate to scripture, are addressed. Contains mature themes and explicit language and imagery. Streaming video.
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The Hungarian Reformed Church. 2012.  Credo: An Introduction to the Major Religious Traditions of Europe. (New York, N.Y.).  1 streaming video file   (30 min.). Shot in Budapest, Debrecen, and the beautiful Great Plain, this program explores the link between Calvinism, with its belief in predestination, and Hungarian nationhood. Speaking with ordinary believers and such public figures as the Prime Minister and Bishop Laszlo Tokes, the program offers an insight into the spiritual side of Hungary. Streaming video.
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