From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians
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DVD Cover Information
Artist: William CranBrand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 240 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-08-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS
Movie Reviews of From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians
Movie Review: A fascinating story
Summary: 5 Stars
As a student of world religions, I found this four-part series, which I originally watched on television, to be packed full of great information from a wide variety of disciplines. It traces the evolution of Christianity from its days as just another Jewish denomination to its final break into an entirely new faith, along with the evolution of the historical Jesus (admittedly a rather obscure figure, given that apart from Josephus, he isn't mentioned in any extrabiblical sources) into a figure of much greater importance (hence the title of the series). A lot of programs about early Christianity tend to repeat the same old story over and over, but this series goes beyond what we already know to fill in all of the gaps. After all, a lot of times what isn't said in the Bible is more telling than what actually is said. Biblical literalists and those who believe the Bible to be absolutely inerrant probably won't be happy with some of these new reinterpretations, but what good is your faith if it can't stand up to some challenges? One must have a pretty weak faith if it falls apart or feels threatened by new historical information, or modern-day schools of thought that don't adhere to an absolute black and white view of the Bible. Isn't it better to become stronger in your faith by constantly re-examining and scrutinising what you believe in and forming your own independent beliefs?
The series explores such topics as the journal of Perpetua, an early martyr, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the amazing books found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 (it's criminal and heartbreaking how the mother of the boy who found them threw a couple of them into her kindling fire!), the differences between the four Gospels and how they each reflect their respective eras and locations (Mark starts out in a very Jewish vein and ends on a depressing note, while John is very anti-Jewish and paints the Jesus movement as much stronger and in control at the end), Constantine's conversion, Masada and Shimon Bar Kochba, the destruction of the Second Temple, how Christianity developed in the various places it travelled to in the region, and Jesus's true social class. All in all, the history of Christianity's first few centuries is a fascinating and multi-faceted story. It's a guarantee that everyone can learn something new by watching this.
Summary of From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians
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