Western and African cultures collide in Haiti resulting in religious conflict between Christianity and Voodoo. Despite centuries of vigilant opposition from the Christian Church, Voodoo has flourished in Haiti and continues to be one of the strongest elements underlying Haitian culture. This film dispels Hollywood stereotypes and presents Voodoo as a belief system that has been passed down from African ancestor to slave to present day Haitian. Traveling...

This poetic documentary is a salute to 35,000 years of "pre-history," to the values of ancestors only recently remembered, and to the goddess-worshipping religions of the ancient past. Goddess Remembered features Merlin Stone, Carol Christ, Luisah Teish, Starhawk, Charlene Spretnak, and Jean Bolen, who link the loss of goddess-centred societies with today's environmental crisis. They propose a return to the belief in an interconnected life system,...

None of us can avoid dying. But some believe we can learn how to die well. Professor Berkson introduces you to ways that others have faced death (with regret, dignity, even rage) and also considers some of the practical ways we can make the best of our deaths when our time comes.

[Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job] Questions about the meaning of life abound in the Bible’s books of wisdom literature: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. Join Professor Koester as he unpacks each book’s distinctive character and outlook, the answers it offers to life’s questions (sometimes straightforward, sometimes nebulous), and its contribution to a fascinating dialogue on how to live.

[Galatians, Romans] Continue your exploration of Paul’s letters, this time by studying the correspondence he wrote to the Galatians and the Romans. In these letters, you’ll find some of Paul’s most provocative ideas about freedom and law—ideas that would play a profound role in shaping subsequent Christian communities.

[Acts 17–28, 1 Thessalonians] Paul’s travels to cities like Corinth and Philippi, and his letters to the Christian communities there, offer a lens into the relationship between early Christianity and the Roman Empire. From conflicts between Jesus’s kingship and Roman imperial rule to the events of Paul’s imprisonment, consider some narrative and spiritual challenges faced by the writer of Acts.

Is divine intervention in the earthly realm possible? And is it responsible for miracles? Through interviews and recreations, explore the role of religion and prayers in the phenomenon of miracles..

Regarding Jesus's final days, review the events that we know about with relative certainty. Learn about his reasons for being in Jerusalem, and the political tensions surrounding the Passover celebration there. Consider what led to his arrest, the nature of the charges against him, and what we can infer about his trial.

This lecture explores what Jesus said about himself, as well as what he specifically preached. Grasp the nature and purpose of Jesus's ethical teachings, and his view of himself as a prophet of the coming kingdom. Study the Jewish conception of the Messiah as a warrior-king who would overthrow the enemies of Israel.

Professor Johnson poses the last big question of the course: Can we answer the ultimate question? Draw on the many insights you’ve gained from these lectures, together with your experience thinking philosophically, to probe the meaning of life from several points of view.