Story of God, The (3 Parts)

Synopsis

Every civilisation in history has been founded on a belief in a higher power that tells us where we come from, what we do, who we are. For some, religion has no place in the modern world - its force and relevance diluted and negated by the driving thrust of science. Yet the power of religion remains with us today in our thinking, our rituals and our culture. The 3-part series THE STORY OF GOD marks a departure from traditional religious programming; it embarks on a journey across continents, cultures and eras, examining one of the most extraordinary aspects of human behaviour. How has a belief in God made us who we are? What place does God have in our lives today? How is God expressed in the modern world?

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2007

Year of production

2006

Subjects

History; Philosophy; Psychology; Religious studies

Keywords

philosophy of science; religious belief and practice; social history

Credits

Contributor

Robert Winston

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£435 (series) £195 (each part)

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

3 x 50 minutes

Year

2007

Type

VHS

Format

PAL

Price

£435 (series) £195 (each part)

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

3 x 50 minutes

Year

2007

Sections

Title

Life, the Universe and Everything

Synopsis

Professor Robert Winston examines the religions which believe in many different gods, and explores why mankind
started to believe in God at all. He goes back to the roots of religious beliefs in prehistoric societies to examine the different ways in which humanity’s sense of the divine developed. He travels to the Gargas Caves in South West France where, he says, if the story of God has a beginning, it is to be found. He examines mysterious stencilled hand prints from 27,000 years ago which appear to have one or more fingers missing- do these represent early humans’ attempts to reach out to God? Professor Winston also examines how mankind’s awareness of death could have shaped our ideas about God. In India, he explores the origins of Hinduism and the emergence of Brahman as the supreme being with many different forms. Some experts believe that there may be 330 million gods across the Hindu faith and he looks at the notions of karma and reincarnation, also popular in Buddhism.

Duration

60 mins

Title

No God but God

Synopsis

What does God want? How should we live? And what happens if we can’t agree? Professor Robert Winston continues his journey to uncover the building blocks of faith and man’s quest to understand the nature of God.
In the first programme, he examined those religions which believed in many different gods and explored why mankind started to believe in God at all. Now he delves into the past to discover the beginnings of monotheism, a belief in one true God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are examined in order to understand the ideas they share about God and the issues that divide them. Prof Winston also explores relations between men and God and the numerous issues that arise from these considerations. He goes in search of an answer to the century’s old question: ‘If God created humanity why does God allow humanity to suffer?' As a man of science and of faith, and as a rationalist and believer, Prof Winston leads viewers on a personal journey as he seeks out the story of God.

Duration

60 mins

Title

God of the Gaps, The

Synopsis

Professor Robert Winston explores how belief in God has been challenged in the modern world by secular ideas, in particular science. The programme looks at how, as science expanded, God retreated. He became ‘the God of the gaps’, occupying those parts of the Universe that were unexplored and unexplained, that science hadn’t got around to yet. The programme also explores whether science can actually help us to understand if God exists or not. According to Pascal it’s a straight toss-up - heads yes, tails no. Pascal’s clinching argument was that it was safer to bet that God did exist because the consequences of betting wrong were too terrible to contemplate. It looks at those scientific disciplines (nuclear and astro-physics) where a convergence between faith and science seems possible. Professor Winston ventures into vast underground laboratories in Switzerland where they are trying to prove the existence of the ‘God particle’ and speaks to an American geneticist who believes there is a God gene which predisposes some people to have religious or spiritual beliefs. He also puts his own belief in God to the test with a mathematical formula that has been adapted to calculate the probability of God’s existence.

Duration

60 mins

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’