Long Search, The

Synopsis

Survey by Ronald Eyre of the world’s major religions. Each part shows encounters with men and women an attempts to capture something of the faith and understanding of individual people.
1: The Hindu experience in India in the city of Varanasi and a small village in Bihar, through priests, a sadhu and a young boy.
2: American non-conformist Christianity in Indianapolis, in a luxurious Baptist fundamentalist temple, a mainline Methodist church and a black chapel characterised by its outstanding singing.
3: Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Monks and ordinary people explain a religion that has high moral standards, but does not believe in a god.
4: Roman Catholicism, illustrated by papal Mass in St Peter’s, Rome, and the desert monastery of the Little Brothers of Jesus who pattern their lives on Jesus Christ.
5: Islam, experienced in Cairo’s Great Mosque and the ancient University of El Azhar, and in a tiny community on the edge of the desert, virtually untouched by the modern world.
6: Communism and the Orthodox Church: In Romania it is not unusual for a Communist Party member to be a communicant, and the Orthodox Church is regarded as an important part of the country’s cultural heritage and ethnic identity.
7: Judaism: examines the question of Jewishness in New York and Jerusalem.
8: The primitive religion of the Toraja people of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes).
9: Two Japanese Buddhist sects: the believers in Pure Land look for salvation and rebirth, and one of Zen’s greatest living masters simplifies the complexities of Zen Buddhism.
10: In South Africa, where the so-called ‘independent’ churches blend Christian teaching with traditional Zulu beliefs.
11: In Taiwan a whole pantheon of gods, both local and imported from the mainland, are worshipped in thousands of Buddhist and Taoist temples.
12: Religion and lifestyle mingle in the San Francisco Bay area, where people brought up in a largely Christian climate look to Taoism and Hinduism for inspiration.
13: After 150,000 miles over four continents and talking to representatives of all the major religions, Ronald Eyre reflects on his experiences.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 13 x 50 min.

Year of production

1977

Availability

Sale; 1996 sale: £99.00 (+VAT +p&p) each 1996 sale: £325.00 (+VAT +p&p) series

Subjects

Religious studies

Keywords

Buddhism; Christianity; Hinduism; Islam; Judaism; religious belief and practice; Taoism

Credits

Cast

Ronald Eyre

Sections

Title

330 million gods

Synopsis

1: The Hindu experience in India in the city of Varanasi and a small village in Bihar, through priests, a sadhu and a young boy.

Title

Protestant spirit, USA

Synopsis

2: American non-conformist Christianity in Indianapolis, in a luxurious Baptist fundamentalist temple, a mainline Methodist church and a black chapel characterised by its outstanding singing.

Title

Footprint of the Buddha

Synopsis

3: Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Monks and ordinary people explain a religion that has high moral standards, but does not believe in a god.

Title

Rome, Leeds and the desert

Synopsis

4: Roman Catholicism, illustrated by papal Mass in St Peter's, Rome, and the desert monastery of the Little Brothers of Jesus who pattern their lives on Jesus Christ.

Title

There is no God but God

Synopsis

5: Islam, experienced in Cairo's Great Mosque and the ancient University of El Azhar, and in a tiny community on the edge of the desert, virtually untouched by the modern world.

Title

Romanian solution, The

Synopsis

6: Communism and the Orthodox Church: In Romania it is not unusual for a Communist Party member to be a communicant, and the Orthodox Church is regarded as an important part of the country's cultural heritage and ethnic identity.

Title

Chosen people, The

Synopsis

7: Judaism: examines the question of Jewishness in New York and Jerusalem.

Title

Way of the ancestors, The

Synopsis

8: The primitive religion of the Toraja people of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes).

Title

Land of the disappearing Buddha

Synopsis

9: Two Japanese Buddhist sects: the believers in Pure Land look for salvation and rebirth, and one of Zen's greatest living masters simplifies the complexities of Zen Buddhism.

Title

Zulu Zion

Synopsis

10: In South Africa, where the so-called 'independent' churches blend Christian teaching with traditional Zulu beliefs.

Title

Question of balance, A4

Synopsis

11: In Taiwan a whole pantheon of gods, both local and imported from the mainland, are worshipped in thousands of Buddhist and Taoist temples.

Title

West meets East

Synopsis

12: Religion and lifestyle mingle in the San Francisco Bay area, where people brought up in a largely Christian climate look to Taoism and Hinduism for inspiration.

Title

Loose ends

Synopsis

13: After 150,000 miles over four continents and talking to representatives of all the major religions, Ronald Eyre reflects on his experiences.

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’