This program respectfully explores mystical aspects of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Taoism. Learned scholars, including Elliot Wolfson, professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies at New York University; Peter Awn, professor of Islamic studies and comparative religion at Columbia University; and Eric Yudelove, author of The Tao and the Tree of Life, introduce Kabbalism, Sufism, Hesychasm, kundalini yoga, and Taoist yoga. Together they shed...

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Islam with Imam Sayed Hassan al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America, in Dearborn, Michigan. Topics of discussion include the meaning of the words Islam, Muslim, and mosque; the two predominant denominations of Islam, Sunni and Shia; the Five Pillars of Islam; the Muslim view of life after death; and the deplorable hijacking of Islam by radical Muslims for use as a tool of hatred and violence....

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about the Greek Orthodox Church with Father Stephen Callos of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Topics of discussion include primary distinctions between Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism; similarities and differences among the Greek, Russian, and other Orthodox Churches; the Orthodox view of the incarnation of Jesus; and marriage and celibacy...

The iconography of hell-a grim warning and arguably a form of behavior control-dates back to ancient times. This program surveys the landscape of damnation as it has been portrayed as Tartarus, Gehenna, Hell, Jahannam, Naraka, and modern-day apocalyptic horror. Representative works of art include the doom painting at Salisbury's Church of St. Thomas, Lorenzo Maitani's relief The Last Judgment on the facade of Orvieto Cathedral, Hieronymus Bosch's...

"Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and...

The term "Holy Spirit" or even "Holy Ghost" was more easily grasped by Christian celebrants when the Apostles' Creed was first written. This program helps clarify the concept of the Holy Spirit and how the third person of the Trinity might be experienced by believers today. With input from Christian theologians, the video discusses the Holy Spirit in relation to Jesus and God; the Holy Spirit as a link between the human and the divine; what it means...

The Apostles' Creed ends with an affirmation of belief in the redemptive nature of Christianity. Forgiveness, sin, and "life everlasting" according to Christian doctrine are the focus of this program as theologians shed light on concepts that are often misunderstood. Framing sin in terms of disobedience, the discussion presents a more nuanced view of the concept; examines redemption imagery in the New Testament; looks at the notion of eternity; and...

A 14th-century English mystic who enclosed herself for life in order to fully develop her relationship with God after a series of revelations, Julian of Norwich and her writings are still studied by Christian theologians. Her prose, some of the most terrifying and compelling, is the first to refer to God as "She," forging the way for inclusive language that is used in many Bibles today. This program offers a concise overview of Julian's life, times,...

Inspired by Saint Francis, Clare of Assisi abandoned a comfortable and privileged life to establish her own order; founded on vows of poverty, self-denial, and working for the poor, it flourishes to this day. This program provides a biography of Clare's life along with an in-depth analysis by McMaster University's Kathy Garay of Clare's relationship to the Church and to her peer St. Francis. A history of religious orders is also provided, as is testimony...

His Holiness the Karmapa talks about how he was discovered to be the reincarnation of a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism. In telling his story, he urges us to work on not just technology and design, but the technology and design of the heart. He is translated onstage by Tyler Dewar.