|
starring: Gloria Reuben, Caterina Scorsone, Justina Machado, Dean McDermott, Rick Foxdirected by: Mike Rohl
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780767012683
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
ISBN: 0767012682
Label: A&E Home Video
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Release Date: November 11, 1998
Running Time: 800 minutes
Sales Rank: 35343
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: October 18, 2003
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Description:
It is an epic beyond anything Hollywood could hope to imagine, embracing emperors and itinerant preachers, the teachings of a man accepted by millions as the Savior and the battles fought in His name. From the Crucifixion to the coming of the Crusades, CHRISTIANITY: THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS traces the rise of one of the world’s great religions. Scholars explore the intertwined fates of the Roman Empire and the faith it persecuted, then later adopted. Theologians reveal how the New Testament was shaped, how pagan festivals were transformed into Christian holidays, and how modern discoveries shed new light on the dawn of Christianity. Drawing on ancient texts, the Scriptures and visits to sites like Istanbul’s magnificent Hagia Sophia, this is a spellbinding journey through CHRISTIANITY: THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS.
Amazon.com:
'This story is enormously unlikely.' --Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion, Princeton University
Pagels is right on the mark: what began two millennia ago as a Jewish sect has grown into the most widespread religion in history, despite unbridled oppression in its early years and countless denominational splits ever since. The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in church history, and A&E's documentary Christianity: The First Thousand Years is a splendid example of solid scholarly research meshed with entertaining production values that speaks to this interest. The result is a resource with equal appeal for the historian and the theologian alike.
The issues that confronted the early church seem now quite strange since there are 2,000 years of tradition behind them today: - Should gentile converts to the Jesus movement have to adhere to the laws of kashrut?
- What authority did Paul have as an apostle though he never personally knew Jesus?
- What is Jesus' relationship to God?
- How can a tripartite Christian theology be resolved with Judaism's strong tradition of monotheism?
- Which texts should form the Christian scripture?
- What relationship do the apostolic bishops at Jerusalem, Damascus, Rome, Constantinople, and elsewhere have to each other--and how should the church be structured?
- What should be the central statement of faith of Christians?
Most of these issues were solved at the Council of Nicaea and at other early church councils--though authority of the papacy at Rome is a persistent divider both between the Eastern and Western churches and between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Christianity: The First Thousand Years provides background and the original perspectives that led to the East-West split--a split whose basis we hardly question today.
The rapid spread of the church from the controversial conversion of Constantine to the conquests of Otto is tied closely to the history of the Roman Empire itself. Without the empire as its catapult, it is unlikely that Christianity would have spread even to remote Iceland and Finland by the year 1000. The early church modeled itself structurally on imperial institutions, and it integrated itself into the fabric of imperial life. Indeed, the central role of Christianity in Byzantine life is one of numerous often-overlooked but fascinating historical perspectives that A&E manages to cover here.
The four-part set features Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, whose unusual but pleasant voices will be well known to viewers of A&E's TV series Mysteries of the Bible. Like the TV series, Christianity: The First Thousand Years is marked by thorough scholarship, including interviews with many highly regarded scholars such as Pagels. Snippets of these interviews are interspersed with photography from the Holy Land and some reenactments, leading to an informative and revealing exploration of the early church. --Erik J. Macki
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Good Exposure
I've always been interested in history but never read about Christian history except tangentially. These dvds provide a decent chronology especially as to the first 1000 years and they provide important details I was not aware of: St. Ignatius returned to school with adolescents to learn Latin, etc., so as to be allowed to preach; Nicea was prompted by Constantine's desire to publish 50 collections of what today we call the Bible; Pope Gregory enforced a very unpopular decree that (married) priests ... Read More
Rating:  - good pre-modern history of christianity
This was overall a good video on the historical development of Christianity (pre-20th century). The part on
Christianity in the 20th century was very weak.
Rating: - really good, not great
I learned a great deal of history through the 400 minutes of video in this series, and I thought I already knew a lot! I liked it overall and I think it's something that everyone should watch. My only complaints were that there are a couple of times that they weren't completely accurate, or mispresented something, such as making it seem like the canonization of the books of the Holy Bible were done hastily at the demand of an Emperor.
I also wish that there were more acted out scenes. Through ... Read More
Rating: - Interesting
It was nice to watch an objective look at the first 2 millenia of Christianity. There are no punches pulled here. There is no glorification of the religion; it is an honest look at the largest religion in the world, from its beginning to current day. It does not make Christianity look bad, nor does it make it look good. If you are looking for an unbiased look at the history of the church, buy this.
Rating:  - wonder program poor production
sadly this is wonderful program, but A & E dvd do not work all dvds and there is defects with in the dvd. I have decirded to live with them, but for this price I paid it was not right. A & E/history channel knew that not all dvd players can use their dvds and they do not put waren so people know that is possble not going to work. This is wonderful program and i love it, but dvd was not good. They clear do not care to treat all custmers rightly.
|
