The long search. [Vol. 8-10]
(DVD)

Originally broadcast as a BBC-TV television program.

Host, Ronald Eyre.

Forms part of a series on world religions in which theater director Ronald Eyre travels around the globe asking people basic questions about their religious beliefs and practices. Vol. 8 visits the Torajas of Indonesia to investigate the experience of primal worship. Explores the reasons for the remarkable survival of the Torajas' religion at a time when other primal, animist religions are dying out as a result of contact with the outside world. Shows many of the Torajas' ceremonies, including animal sacrifice and the feasting and gaiety of the funeral season. Vol. 9 visits Japan to investigate the Japanese experience of Buddhist worship. Contrasts the Mahayana Buddhism of Japan with that of Sri Lanka. Examines the rituals and customs of some of Japan's contemporary faiths, primarily Zen but also the Sōka Gakkai and Pure Land (Amida Buddha) sects and the native Shinto tradition. Looks at various aspects of Zen Buddhism and its influence on Japanese culture, including meditation, calligraphy, sword fighting, archery, and the tea ceremony. Vol. 10 visits the Zulu Independent Churches of South Africa to explore the Black African response to Christianity. Traces the history of religious beliefs in Africa from the arrival of the first Christian missionaries to the current rediscovery of the African religious identity. Studies two major groups, the Zionists and the Nazarites, a group founded by Isaiah Shembe. Shows a women's Zionist service, held at a home in the townships, where healing and support are integral parts of the service, and an open-air service of the Nazarites at which the themes of dreams, healing, and power are discussed.

DVD.