Christianity: A History (2009) Channel 4

Episode 2: Rome

Episode 2: Rome

Michael Portillo investigates the legacy of the Roman Emperor Constantine - the man who transformed Christianity from a clandestine handful of followers of Jesus Christ into one of the world's great religions with a global reach of over two billion worshipers.



In 312AD Constantine is believed to have had some sort of religious epiphany or vision that converted him from Paganism - the traditional faith of Roman Emperors - to the new faith of Christianity. This transformed a persecuted cult into a religion of power and privilege within the Empire - with Constantine as head of both state and church.



Michael Portillo, a lapsed Catholic himself, uses his politician's mind to unravel the process by which Constantine and the church came together and questions how ruthless imperialism came to be reconciled with Christ's pacifist, altruistic values.



Portillo's conclusion is that once enthroned in a position of power, the church never looked back - and this has been a disaster for Christianity because 'power is for politicians and not for churchmen'.

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