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Decoding Christianity
6 x
52min HD documentary series
A
hugely ambitious international co-production, Decoding
Christianity offers a compelling insight into both the
artistic and the spiritual, uniting two aspects of human
endeavour that have become increasingly separated in the
modern world.
In
each episode, the presenter begins by posing a key question
that is fundamental to our understanding of Christianity –
for instance, What are angels, where do they come from and
why do we believe in them? He then sets out to find
the answer to this question, investigating and decoding the
signs, symbols, iconography, myths and miracles of
Christianity. Over six episodes, the presenter’s quest
takes him to far-flung corners of the earth: from the
primitive frescos in the catacombs of Rome, to the massive,
colourful pilgrimage at Kulubi in Ethiopia, to the
extraordinary Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, we are taken on
a journey into Christianity in all its fascinating and
colourful manifestations.
Decoding Christianity
is a Tile Films co-production with Vision TV international.
The series was filmed in the United States, Russia,
Lithuania, Turkey, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Wales,
Ireland, Ethiopia and the Philippines. The series is made
with onscreen presentation in three languages; English,
Irish and Welsh. It is being co-produced by Tile Films for
VisionTV Canada, Smithsonian Networks USA, S4C Wales, TG4
Ireland, UR Sweden and Channel 4 International UK.
PROGRAMME 1 – Flesh and Blood
Why do
vivid images depicting the suffering of Jesus Christ and the
Christian martyrs play such a major role in Christian art?
As the presenter searches for the answer to this
question, the importance of the earthly body in Christianity
is slowly revealed, in a story whose central spine is the
depiction of the crucifixion, saintly mortification and
transubstantiation. We look at the importance of
martyrdom and the Catholic/Protestant divide on communion,
exploring how changes in depictions varied from era to era
and century to century, and travel to Pampanga in the
Philippines, where believers atone for their sins by
undergoing crucifixion and flagellation.
PROGRAMME 2 – Damned and Saved
Where
does our fascination with the afterlife come from, and what
happens to us when we die? How do we get to heaven or
hell, and what are limbo and purgatory? Starting in a
graveyard, the presenter sets off to explore how the concept
of the punishment of sin developed. How were the
horrors of hell depicted in the medieval era? What is
the significance of the Garden of Eden and the Original
Sin of Adam and Eve? We then move on to sin and
salvation, and look at why Purgatory and, until recently,
Limbo were regarded as possible afterlife destinations.
Finally, we look at the Last Judgement and why it holds such
a prominent place in Christian art.
PROGRAMME 3 – Angels
We
open with a montage of images showing the enduring appeal of
angels, from old paintings and mosaics to present-day iconic
images of angels and cherubs of all kinds. What are angels?
The Presenter delves back in time to find the first
references to angels, moving on to explore different types
of angels and show how they are represented in art. He
finds out about the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and
Raphael, and moves on to look into the dark side of angels –
Satan, or Lucifer, was once an angel. Finally, he
meets Ronna Herman, who claims she can commune with angels
in today’s world.
PROGRAMME 4 – Secrecy, Symbols and Mystery
Why is
Christianity so focused on symbols? What do they mean
and what is their relevance? The Presenter explores
the early days of Christianity as an underground movement,
when the need for secrecy drove symbolism. Also, in
early Christianity, visual symbols were a powerful way to
communicate. The Presenter discovers how the cross
went from being a symbol of shame to the most powerful and
glorious symbol of Christianity. He moves on to
explore the importance of mystery in the pagan religions of
the ancient world, and how mystery was translated into
Christian practice.
PROGRAMME 5 – Miracles
Even
in the modern day, people the world over still quest after
miracles. We open with one of the earliest and most
significant; Constantine's vision on the Milvian Bridge in
the 4th century AD. The presenter then
moves on to the Resurrection, and looks at how it inspired
men such as St. Francis of Assisi, who were themselves
associated with miracles. He investigates the
connection between saints, pilgrimage sites and miracles,
visiting the world famous St. Winefride’s Well in Wales.
Finally, he visits Ethiopia in search of one of the most
unusual and jaw-dropping miracles in the modern world.
PROGRAMME 6 – A Faith Divided
This
programme focuses on the great divisions that have taken
place within Christianity over the two millennia of its
existence. The presenter begins by exploring the 11th-century
Great Schism, when Christianity split into the Eastern
Orthodox and Western Churches. He moves on to
investigate how Western Christianity then split into
Protestantism and Roman Catholicism in the 16th
century – why did the Reformation happen, and what was its
impact on Christian art and theology? The presenter
closes by pondering the current state of the divide between
Western Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy. Is there
hope that the two sides will ever be reconciled?
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