Christianity: A History (2009) Channel 4

Episode 1: Jesus, The Jew

Episode 1: Jesus, The Jew

Novelist Howard Jacobson kicks off the series with his personal take on Jesus the Jew.



Leading British writer Howard Jacobson, a Jew himself, examines the origins and consequences of Christian belief. He argues that although Christianity originated in devout Judaism, for Jews it has been, for the most part, a calamity.



Jacobson talks to Christian and Jewish scholars. He visits Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Galilee and Rome to find out more about Jesus the Jew, and discovers how key Christian beliefs - including the notion of a Messiah and baptism - have roots in Judaism.



Furthermore, he asserts that Jesus didn't intend to start a new religion, and that for Jesus's family the new movement remained within Judaism: for them he was a charismatic Rabbi.



Is Judaism Christianity's guilty secret?

Christianity: a History

Eight-part history of the Christian faith, looking at its origins, development and turbulent past. High-profile British personalities examine a religion that has particular resonance for them.

Leading British lawyer and committed Catholic Cherie Blair investigates Christianity over the last 100 years and explores its future prospects. She examines the challenges to Christianity posed by the trauma of war and political oppression in the 20th century, which culminated in the genocide of the Jews in the Holocaust.



Into the huge God-shaped hole fell the modern 'faiths' of materialism and secularism. Christianity was becoming more isolated by so-called 'progress', and this marginalisation was exacerbated by the new, hedonistic anything-goes society of the 1960s. But there is one part of the western world where Christianity has bucked the downward trend and has never been stronger - the USA.



Cherie uncovers the reasons for its continued success there and looks at what the future holds for Christianity. Are we living in a post-Christian age? Or is the 21st Century really going to be the Christian century?



Series Summary



Ours is said to be a Godless age, yet billions remain faithful to religions thousands of years old. This provocative eight-part series explores the history and global impact of the world's biggest religion through the personal views of leading British figures.



Over the course of the series, eight high-profile personalities - including Michael Portillo, Rageh Omaar, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Cherie Blair - look at the origins and history of the Christian faith.



In each film the presenter addresses a subject that means something particular to them. In doing so, they bring their own perspectives to a challenging and comprehensive debate that explores Christianity's role in shaping the modern world.



EPISODES



Episode 1: Jesus the Jew

Episode 2: Rome

Episode 3: Dark Ages

Episode 4: Crusades

Episode 5: Reformation

Episode 6: Dark Continents

Episode 7: God and the Scientists

Episode 8: The Future of Christianity