Discussion

Dear FRONTLINE,

It is obvious the producers of this series are pushing the liberal, humanist agenda of the Jesus Seminar and its ilk. Toadying to their goal of denying the possibility Jesus is the supernatural God will go down as one of the most unbalanced disasters in PBS history. No one disputes the right of the liberals to tout their beliefs, however, PBS has an obligation to preserve its journnalistic integrity. Using "group-think" clones to falsely erect a facade of united "scholarship" when equal, and in some cases superior, scholarship exists which disputes these liberals, is an insult to informed viewers. The next time PBS's lobbyists find themselves assaulted on Capitol Hill for being representatives of left-wing philosophy and cultural values, I hope they will realize pseduo-documentaries such as this merely substantiate the charges against them. In the future, present both sides of a controversy -- and maintain your integrity.

Kenneth Lamb
kenlamb@bellsouth.net
Pensacola, FL

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think it is very difficult to present this material in such a way as to bridge the gap that has existed for some time between those biblical scholars, historians, and theologians who have accepted the various forms of critical methods, on the one hand, and the vast public of pious Christians raised with a literal mindset, on the other. Literalists and traditionalists feel slighted by this documentary, because they feel that they can articulate what they think are compelling arguments against the methods of these scholars. Whether or not they can (and I am in the camp which is skeptical of the claims of the pre-critical scholarship) may be beyond the scope of the documentary's budget and purpose.

However, this documentary, however well done it is, will not influence many people who are already on the defensive. I have come to experience Jesus of Nazareth as a definitive revelation of the nature of God because of the stripping away of the antiquated barnacles of literalistic (and selective) biblical hermeneutics and theologies. It is precisely because of the creative way in which his humanity astounded people from within a cultural, historical context (the Incarnation) that this kind of faith is possible....

Frederick Hunt
huntjr@concentric.net
Somersworth, New Hampshire

Dear FRONTLINE,

Very disappointing. This series was promoted with the bait that "new historical evidence" or "new information" would be presented, but this was altogether misleading. The only information less than 20 years old presented in this program was the latest consensus among academics detailing how one must think these days to get tenure at a prestigious university. These modern day "scribes" appeared to be groping for some way to make the Bible say something "new", and may indeed be as clueless about the historical Jesus as the scribes to whom Jesus preached!

As for the video production, why show the same Roman armor, nail-in-wood, and aerial sheep-on-a-hillside scenes over and over and over again? What an impoverished exhibit of modern archaeology which actually has quite a bit to say that IS new!

P Axelsen
axe@pharm.med.upenn.edu
Philadelphia, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I missed the first evening of this series and hope this replays at a later date.

I enjoy the scientific studies of archeology and historical politics of Christianity. Unlike many of the viewers who have responded here, I am not in any way offended that commentating scholars did not make a profession of faith for us. I do not need their reassurance and I certainly was not expecting this to be an evangelistic crusade! Thanks for not letting me down.

What I DO need is as good an historical understanding of scripture's orgins and the life of the early Christians as I can get. Your program provided a wonderful starting place and I thank you.

I say ' Bravo ' to PBS!

Theresa McDermott
Teed123@aol.com
Tacoma, WA