The Bible: A History: BIble Films Review

Matt Page concludes an excellent round of reviews of the Channel 4 series, The Bible: A History over on his Bible Films blog today, with The Bible: A History: Part 7. You can catch the rest of his reviews under the label The Bible: A History.

The Bible: A History, Ep. 7: Revelation

The final episode of The Bible: A History airs on Channel 4 (UK) this Sunday at 7.  This is the publicity photograph for the programme, featuring my former colleague Robert Beckford.  The topic is Revelation: The Last Judgement.  This one features Martin Palmer, Christopher Rowland, James Cohn and me.  The interview with me was shot in Duke Chapel last November.

Gerry Adams on Judas's Betrayal, The Bible: A History

Tomorrow's Times carries an article on the forthcoming fifth episode of The Bible: A History, which focuses on Jesus and is presented by Gerry Adams. The article is headed I know why Judas betrayed Jesus, says Gerry Adams in Channel 4 documentary. Except that he does not. The documentary does not actually discuss Judas at all. (I am series consultant, which is why I have seen and contributed to these materials). The Times has apparently taken this material from Helen Bond's op-ed piece for Bible and Interpretation over a month ago, Jesus through the eyes of an Irish republican (not "her blog", as the piece incorrectly has it). Helen was discussing there her conversations with Adams and how they had caused her to think about the Historical Jesus, but no discussion about Judas appears in the programme.

Meanwhile, Doug Chaplin offers his reflections on tonight's episode, "Daughters of Eve", over on Clayboy, and I have been meaning to mention The Independent's write-up of last week's episode featuring Anne Widdecombe.

Update (18.20): Jim West comments.

The Bible: A History on the blogs

Over on the T & T Clark blog, Dominic Mattos notes the presence of several T & T Biblical Studies authors on TV. On The Bible: A History, there have been appearances from Francesca Stavrakopoulou (episodes 1-2) and Henry Wansbrough (episode 3), and Dominic also notes that I am the Series Consultant. And there are more T & T Clark authors to come, Paula Gooder in episode 4 ("Daughters of Eve" with Bettany Hughes) this Sunday, Helen Bond in episode 5 on Jesus (the Gerry Adams episode), James Crossley in episode 6 on Paul (the Tom Holland episode) and me in episode 7 on Revelation (the Robert Beckford episode). Larry Hurtado also appears in episode 6, though I don't think he's published with T & T.

Elsewhere on the blogs, Matt Page, in Bible Films Blog, comments on the Ann Widdecombe episode, The Bible: A History, part 3 and Doug Chaplin, in Clayboy, has comments on the same episode, Going clubbing with the Bible (mainly anyone who disagrees).

The Bible: A History First Reviews

I am delighted to see several positive reviews of The Bible: A History, the new seven part series on Channel 4 (UK), the first episode of which aired on Sunday (see my posts on The Bible: A History). The Independent writes:

The Weekend's Television: The Bible: A History, Sun, Channel 4
Reviewed by Tom Sutcliffe

. . . . The principal punchbag in this programme was Richard Dawkins, criticised by Jacobson for intemperately attacking certitude with a mirror-image certainty. I guess Dawkins's prose style riles Jacobson – its impatience and asperity with certain kinds of human folly. And one might point out (from a safe distance) that if you want to excoriate irascibility and fierceness of language, it might help to be a bit less tetchy and short fuse than Howard Jacobson. But then this was a writer's appreciation of the Creation story, from a man who understands that the Authorized Version reverberates through English prose and poetry, and isn't too worried that some people choose to take it literally . . .

There are similarly appreciative comments from Fraser Nelson in The Spectator, Atheism as Extremism, and Sholto Byrnes in The Staggers blog on the New Statesman, The Importance of Myth. There are briefer comments in The Times, but still fairly positive.

Doug Chaplin offers his thoughts on the first episode on Clayboy, Nutritious Religion? Creation and C4's Bible: a History and Matt Page has his thoughts on the first episode over on Bible Films Blog.

The Bible: A History begins on Channel 4 today

If you're in the UK, don't forget that The Bible: A History begins on Channel 4 tonight, at 7pm. It's a seven part series and each week a different figure tackles a topic from the Bible (All posts on this topic). In the first episode, Howard Jacobson tackles the creation stories. Since I worked on this as Series Consultant, I am of course prejudiced, but I think this first episode is superb, engaging and nicely paced.

Channel 4 have added an a new interview on their website:

interview with Howard Jacobson

And the Telegraph have a piece on the episode:

Richard Dawkins pushing a form of 'aggressive atheism', says presenter
Professor Richard Dawkins has been accused of “parading his own failure of imagination” by failing to consider the possible existence of God in an attack by the author Howard Jacobson.
By Urmee Khan

Update: Doug Chaplin offers his thoughts on the first episode on Clayboy, Nutritious Religion? Creation and C4's Bible: a History.

Update (Tuesday): Matt Page has his thoughts on the first episode over on Bible Films Blog.

The Bible: A History: air date

The date of the first episode of the Channel 4 series The Bible: A History has now been confirmed as Sunday 24 January at 7pm. Channel 4's website on the programme is here. All NT Blog posts on The Bible: A History here.

The Bible: A History Latest

I recently mentioned the forthcoming Channel 4 (UK) series, The Bible: A History (The Bible: A History, Channel 4 Series), made by Pioneer TV, on which I've been series consultant. We are now only weeks away from broadcast and the series is getting some attention around the web. Helen Bond, who appears in the episode on Jesus, today offers her reflections on Jesus through the Eyes of an Irish Republican over on Bible and Interpretation,

. . . . My role in the program was to act as Gerry’s mentor, to accompany him on his trips (including one dark evening when we found ourselves paddling in the Sea of Galilee in a thunderstorm discussing Jesus’ miracles), and to discuss the days’ findings with him every evening. We spent hours arguing whether first-century Galilee was “occupied”; the meaning of “democracy” in ancient societies; high priestly “collaboration” (and alternatives); and whether Jesus foresaw his own death. I’ve not often had the chance to discuss these things with a man who has been on the run from political authority, who has experienced internment, who has been shot at (and still bears the scars), and who is now protected from the “real IRA” who regard him as a traitor – and I have to say that I learned from him too . . .

Tommy Wasserman shares his thoughts on Evangelical Textual Criticism, Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams in Search for Jesus and Papyrus 45, including comments about filming of P45. And Matt Page comments over on Bible Films.

The Bible: A History, Channel 4 series

BBC News has a piece on a forthcoming Channel 4 series on the Bible, one episode of which, the one on Jesus, features Gerry Adams:

Gerry Adams "in search of Jesus"

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is to go on a journey "to discover the real Jesus" as part of a new television series for Channel 4.
Mr Adams will present one episode of the seven-part documentary series called The Bible: A History.

He is one of seven commentators from "very different backgrounds" who will explore the Bible "from their own, very personal, perspective". Mr Adams is to examine Jesus' teachings on "love, forgiveness, and repentance" . . .

There is more on the series here:

The Bible: A History

More content will be added there as time goes by, but it features an interview with Anne Widdecombe about her episode, on the Ten Commandments. Here's the series blurb:

A provocative seven-part series that presents personal explorations of the world's most important, widespread and revolutionary text comes to Channel 4 in early 2010. From the Bible's origins to the American presidential inauguration, from Hebrew and Greek to today's current 2,400 different translations: this is the story of most influential book ever written.

The Bible is a book of history, of poetry and of prophecy. The books within it cover an incredible range of subjects: from the story of Creation itself to the creation of the Jewish Promised Land, from the Gospels' biographies of Jesus to the epistles of St. Paul and the apocalyptic visions of Revelation. This series explores the origins, ideas and influence of seven sections of the Scriptures, tracing how they came into existence and how they have shaped the world we live in today.

Each film is presented by a prominent commentator and thinker. Howard Jacobson sets out to reclaim Creation from the creationists, Bettany Hughes demonstrates how the Bible continues to shape perceptions of gender; Rageh Omaar examines the Bible's political legacy in the Middle East; and Ann Widdecombe explores the Ten Commandments.

Each presenter draws on their own experiences, expertise and faith, making a compelling, personal case for the important role this ancient book still plays in guiding the lives of millions of believers across the globe.

The Bible: A History will be on Channel 4 in January and February 2010.

Oh, I should perhaps mention that I am consultant on the series and have been working with Pioneer TV on it since the summer. I will also be appearing in front of camera in one episode, the one on Revelation, presented by Robert Beckford. My piece was filmed in Duke Chapel last week.