Find God in America on DVD from PBS
“For those who know that in America, religion matters, and for those who wish it didn’t matter so much, comes God in America…” From early Franciscan attempts to convert Pueblo Indians, to Puritan settlement, to a country that is “no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers” (Barack Obama).
With the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” being roundly misunderstood, it has been made easy to forget that the right to worship was a driving force in the founding of the United States.
God in America: How Religious Liberty Shaped America examines religion’s effects on life in and the history of the United States. What does the first amendment mean, and what was Thomas Jefferson’s intent when he fought for the inclusion of words that separate government and religion? What role did Baptists have in ensuring the freedom of choice of religion, and how did Methodists bring Christian messages to the west? These are a few of the questions answered in this six-hour documentary series.
An exploration of the role of religion in the Civil War details Abraham Lincoln’s mid-life spiritual awakening, the roles religions played in the fight for abolition, and the divisions within denominations over the issue of slavery. Both sides believed that God was on their side; how could that possibly be?
Religion has been a factor in the civil rights movement, the cold war and attitudes toward communism, politics, and nearly every aspect of American life. A plethora of historians, writers, clergy, civil rights leaders, politicians, and contemporary witnesses provide insight into prominent historical figures and the minds of early citizens of the United States, in this six-part series—a joint production of American Experience and Frontline.
God in America is a thorough examination of the 400-year history of the evolution of religion in the United States, consummately absorbing and complete. It can be viewed on-line at PBS.org, and purchased from the PBS Shop and other retailers.
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