A detective hunts an international murderer committing ritualistic killings in a small Mississippi town. He seeks help from an anthropology professor, who is an expert on the ancient rituals being performed.

"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...

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....

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...

"Two narratives--Richard in present day, settling into a quiet but pleasant life as a newly married art teacher; Sean in 1980s Virginia, when cult leaders, serial killers, and stranger danger are on the rise--converge around a few small lies that spiraled into a terrible tragedy. Thirty years later, it seems someone is out for revenge."--

Incorporating works of art from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and other traditions, this program examines the evolution of the concept of heaven and how it has been depicted since ancient times. Luca Signorelli's fresco Coronation of the Elect, at Orvieto Cathedral; Fra Angelico's altarpiece Last Judgment; an illustration of paradise in a Persian manuscript by Aqa Mirak; an image of heaven from a medieval Hebrew Bible; and a Wheel of Life thangka...

The city of Rishikesh, a center of great spiritual energy, is home to the renowned yogi Swami Chaitanya. This program introduces both hatha and raja yoga while observing Chaitanya meditate; perform a fire ritual by the Ganges; engage in shatkriyas, internal purification methods, including sutra neti and dhouti; and visit with sadhus and other spiritual seekers. He also warns against false asceticism. The goal of yoga? To make contact with the inner...

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...

By the Middle Ages, women's roles as defined by the Church were strictly circumscribed; however, alternate role models were also available, beginning with the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the transvestite saints from the early Church. This program examines the options available to women living in the 12th through 15th centuries and how some subverted traditional roles in order to discover and express their own freedom, dignity, and power. Professors...

A 13th-century French mystic, Douceline de Digne established the first community for laywomen devoted to caring for the sick and the poor. This program presents an in-depth biography of an early mystic who embraced an ascetic life and who was emulated by many, both rich and poor, male and female. Commentary from Kathy Garay, of McMaster University, offers insight into medieval culture and Douceline's role as a lay icon.