Theology: Videos & Images

The Old Testament is one of the foundational documents of Western civilization. In 24 enthralling episodes, Professor Robert D. Miller II of The Catholic University of America guides you through a core selection of the major books of the Old Testament, inviting you to probe their meaning and relevance in incisive and thought-provoking commentary.

In these 24 eye-opening episodes, Professor David Brakke takes you behind the scenes to study not only the text of the New Testament, but also the authors and the world in which it was created. You'll explore Jewish lives under Roman occupation, reflect on the apocalyptic mood of the first and second centuries AD, and witness the early Christians' evangelism beyond the Jewish communities.

Throughout history, religious expression has been an essential human activity, influencing the development of civilizations. Humanity’s religions are grounded in their sacred texts - foundational writings that crystallize the principles and vision of the faiths, forming the basis of belief and action. These richly informative lectures reveal a global legacy of faith, thought, and spirituality.

With a rich history stretching back over 3,000 years, the Holy Land is sacred for three major faiths and the setting for defining events in religious history. Historians have shed intriguing new light on our understanding of this area—and its powerful role in religious history. Comb through these remains for yourself and travel deep beneath the pages of the Bible.

For anyone interested in understanding the profound effect Jesus had on the world, it’s important to realize that his actions and teachings didn’t emerge from a vacuum. Rather, they were the product of a fascinating dialogue with—and reaction to—the traditions, cultures, and historical developments of ancient Jewish beliefs. In fact, early Judaism and Jesus are two subjects so inextricably linked that one cannot arrive at a true understanding of Jesus without understanding the time in which he lived and taught.

Historians and archaeologists open a thrilling world of discovery as they bring their methods and insights to the iconic stories of the Bible. In this series, discover ancient evidence related to the flood and the Tower of Babel, the actual path of the Exodus from Egypt, excavations related to the life of Jesus, and other findings that throw revealing light on the scriptures.

Christianity's explosive growth in Africa was totally unexpected at the dawn of independence from colonial rule and is part of a startling reversal in world history. Christianity is no longer the religion of the West. Over two-thirds of the world's Christians now live in the global South — with Africa growing the fastest.
With guidance from leading scholars, these films document the vitality and changing nature of Christianity in Africa. They explore the ways in which it is has become increasingly popular by becoming increasingly African — that is, by becoming rooted more authentically in local cultures. In Ghana and Zimbabwe, where we did our principal filming, we saw that this means emphasizing healing, for instance, or dancing as spiritual discipline, or addressing the multiplicity of spirits that are part and parcel of the world most Africans know.

As ISIS and other extremists threaten, enslave and kill Christians, is their history in the birthplace of their faith coming to an end?
‘There is a global war against Christianity’ states Timothy Radcliffe, former master of the order of preachers. According to a Vatican report, 100,000 Christians are martyred every year. Others are harrassed, raped or attacked, and subjected to forced displacement and the destruction of their places of worship. Nowhere is the problem more severe than in the Middle East. Under Saddam Hussein, almost 1.5 million Christians lived in Iraq. Today, there are less than 200,000. ISIS have vowed to cleanse the areas they control of Christians and even outside the caliphate, Christians are regarded with suspicion and seen to represent the West. But despite the threats, some Christians are reluctant to leave. As one explains, ‘If minority groups start to leave, other minorities will become more vulnerable’.

Beloved of the bereft and abandoned, Father Bob Maguire the irreverent philosopher and working class hero eschews the collar and piousness of his own religion. For almost 40 years he has fought courageously to protect troubled youth immersed in a culture of crime, drugs and violence by opening the doors to his parish, the presbytery, and his own pockets, offering a stable place from where they can begin a new life.
Father Bob offers outreach for street kids, food programs and scholarships for the poor. He has always fought back at the disciplinary measures imposed on him from an unsupportive Vatican with wit and a healthy disregard for authority, frankly pointing out the flaws in logic, dogma and prejudice by asking; "is not helping those in need a central tenet of our religion?"

Does God really condemn loving homosexual relationships? Is the chasm separating Christianity from gays and lesbians too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? These questions and more are answered in this award-winning documentary, which 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 families – including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson – we discover how people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child or family member.

Can American Christians resist the hijacking of the Christian faith by American Nationalism? Based on the popular book of the same name, the film begins with author Brian Zahnd some 350 miles into his 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He walks “the Camino” in spiritual pilgrimage as preparation for the mental mayhem of the polarized political climate in America. It’s against the backdrop of the elections that Zahnd exposes how the church in America has succumbed to the seduction of empire and has entangled Christianity with the Red, White, and Blue. The parallel between the modern-day United States of America and Biblical Babylon is one that is rarely drawn. Zahnd exposes the misguided culture war from evangelicals who rely on fear and scapegoating rather than the disarming qualities of humility, grace, and love. Evangelicalism’s alliance with American politics is distorting the core message of the cross and damaging the witness of Christ both nationally and internationally. The film’s crew journeys to places around the United States of America leading them deep into the heart of the story.

AMERICAN HERETICS takes audiences into the buckle of the Bible belt where a group of defiant ministers, congregations, and community leaders are challenging deeply rooted fundamentalist Christian doctrine in favor of a Gospel of Inclusion. Labeled as "heretics" for their beliefs and actions, they refuse to wield their faith as a sword sharpened by literal interpretations of the Bible.

Explore the life of one of the best-known and most influential religious leaders of the 20th century. An international celebrity by age 30, BILLY GRAHAM built a media empire, preached to millions worldwide, and had the ear of tycoons, presidents and royalty.

There are 30 transgender, ordained ministers in the United States. Six are in North Carolina. Dawn Flynn, Mykal Shannon, Liam Hooper, and Debra Hopkins fight intolerance and discrimination in the Bible Belt and battle narrow-mindedness within the religious community, fellow state natives, and their own families.
PROPER PRONOUNS is an observational film. In order to live as their authentic selves, some of their loved ones experienced personal identity crises. Each minister bravely preaches from a pulpit despite the danger they face not only as a transgender person living in the South, but also as transgender ministers navigating their way through local, state, and national governing bodies who decide what it means to be a human being.