In the February issue of The Mennonite, Associate Editor Gordon Houser recommends a 10-part documentary on Catholicism showing on PBS in the US in the following article.
Catholicism, PBS and Tebowmania
Mediaculture: Reflections on the effect of media and culture on our faith
by Gordon Houser
For anyone who laments the lack of religious content on television, look no further than Catholicism, a 10-episode documentary on PBS.
Set in 50 locations in more than 16 countries, the series examines major themes, such as the person of Christ, the mystery of God, the Virgin Mary, Peter and Paul, the “missionary thrust of the Church,” the liturgy and the Eucharist, prayer and spirituality and the saints, says Father Robert Barron, head of Word on Fire media and the visionary behind the series.
Barron, a priest of the Chicago archdiocese who teaches faith and culture at Mundelein Seminary, is unapologetic in his advocacy of the Catholic faith. He even says he hopes the films will be used “as a tool of evangelization for everybody.”
Many will object that public television is not the place for a series promoting Catholicism. Perhaps, but the series (I’ve watched only three episodes thus far) is also educational. And the early episodes especially focus on Christian beliefs—catholic (universal) as well as Catholic.
If PBS were presenting a series on Buddhism or Hinduism, there may not be much debate. Given the religious ignorance of most Americans, learning about Catholicism or other faiths could help us be more civil citizens.
That is, it could if more people watched PBS. One can only hope.
The first episode, filmed largely in Israel, looks at Jesus’ life, then moves on to the spread of the Christian faith throughout the Roman Empire. It focuses on Old Testament themes that Jesus fulfills as the promised Messiah: gathering the tribes, cleansing the temple of God, the Davidic warrior, dealing with the enemies of Israel, reigning as the Lord of all nations.
Barron is an engaging guide who clearly loves to teach. He offers interesting perspectives on the faith and responds to the questions of skeptics without sounding condescending. Further, given such terms as warrior, dealing with enemies and reigning as Lord, it’s refreshing to see Barron’s emphasis on Jesus’ nonviolence.
The second episode explores the mystery of God. Barron is clearly an apologist, as he presents the Christian faith to its skeptics. He says, “The God that most atheists deny I would also deny”—a God that is an item in the universe or is in competition with us.
Later in the episode, Barron says, “God orders all things sweetly.” God is nonviolent, he goes on, and the doctrine of creation fits well with the moral teaching of Jesus.
The series takes Barron to sites around the world to illustrate the topic he’s addressing. For example, when he discusses the problem of evil, he is outside the Auschwitz concentration camp. The series also shows stunningly beautiful scenes to illustrate God’s creation.
While there is much to learn from this series, and its content clearly presents a gospel message, few will see it. Millions more are glued to football, as (of this writing) the Super Bowl is weeks away.
Millions more have been caught up in what’s been called Tebowmania. For those living on another planet, this term derives from Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos and author of the book Through My Eyes. An outspoken evangelical Christian, he celebrates touchdowns he’s involved in by getting down on a knee and praying, a gesture now called Tebowing.
Many love him; others hate him. Either way, they’re paying more attention to him than to the exploration of the Christian faith presented on PBS.