First impressions of PBS’ God in America, with some filling out by dialog with the series executive producer Mike Sullivan in today’s open chat on Patheos. Maybe I should have divided the material into more than one post, but some friends have been dropping emails to post it all ASAP ;-) So here you are …
- What is PBS’ God in America?
- Positives points
- What didn’t sit well, including some recommendations …
Don’t worry more is coming, including a tie back into the Elizabethtown College and Peacemaking series. But I so much want to hear from you, scholars and the academically minded (from across the disciplines, not just history) and human beings (who may or may not be “Americans,” who may or may not be followers of Christ). Note: If you haven’t seen the series or missed some segments of the series, you can watch the whole series here (on-line, free)!
What is PBS’ God in America?
For the first time on television, God in America explores the tumultuous 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European settlements to the 2008 presidential election. A co-production of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, this six-hour series examines how religious dissidents helped shape the American concept of religious liberty and the controversial evolution of that ideal in the nation’s courts and political arena; how religious freedom and waves of new immigrants and religious revivals fueled competition in the religious marketplace; how movements for social reform — from abolition to civil rights — galvanized men and women to put their faith into political action; and how religious faith influenced conflicts from the American Revolution to the Cold War. — http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/etc/introduction.html (10/14/2010, 9:49 am)