World Religions: Videos

Buddhism holds that life and the physical world are illusions, transcended by emptying the mind and simplifying one’s life. In reality, Buddhism is complicated—no unified teaching exists. This program presents ways of articulating Buddhist thought from six straightforward and insightful practitioners who explain parallels and distinctions between Buddhist traditions.

Beliefs spelled out in the Apostle’s Creed link Christians around the world—but in practice, the faith has fractured. This program presents views from five insightful and widely differing believers who reveal their thoughts on conflict and harmony within Christianity.

It is not a religion in itself—rather, Hinduism is more of a family of faiths that focus on God in different ways. Nevertheless, the majority of Hindu traditions share the same colorful festivals, reverence for sacred animals, and scriptural use of Sanskrit. This program sifts through perspectives from four practitioners of the Hindu faith who discuss both unified and divergent ways in which their spiritual energy is expressed.

The Five Pillars of Islam—belief in one God, praying five times a day, fasting, giving to charity, and going on pilgrimage—guide all Muslims. But cultural and political influences have shaped the observance of the faith in various ways from country to country. This program explores the beliefs of four Islamic leaders and scholars who communicate penetrating insights and observations on the contrasts and continuity within their religion.

In this two-part series, renowned art commentator Waldemar Januszczak makes an epic journey of discovery across the Muslim world, revealing awe-inspiring architecture and art objects that evoke the history of Islam. Along the way he meets local historians and experts-as well as an array of weavers, calligraphers, potters, and jewelers-who contribute their knowledge of this fascinating art-historical field. The result is a stimulating introduction to a set of globally significant aesthetic traditions. 2-part series, 45-60 minutes each.

This program explores three major areas of philosophical inquiry into religion: religious epistemology, or the exploration of the rational grounds for religious beliefs and, in particular, the existence of God; the metaphysics of religion, which inquires into the nature of God; and theodicy, which examines the philosophical implications of the presence of evil in the world. Commentary by Alvin Plantinga, of the University of Notre Dame; Fordham University’s Merold Westphal; Dean Zimmerman, of Rutgers University; and Richard Sorabji, of King’s College London, is featured. Readings from Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica, Moses Maimonides’s Guide for the Perplexed, and other essential texts are included. Part of the series Great Ideas of Philosophy II. (44 minutes)

A graceful blend of religion, art, and history, this six-part series seeks to understand how pagan peoples, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have expressed their spiritual devotion through architecture and art. Heaven on Earth was filmed on location in 14 countries. 6-part series, 26 minutes each.