Product Details

• Directors: Lew Ayres
• Producers: Lew Ayres
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Wellspring Media
• VHS Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305391009
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,806 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover

Does the Pope have the answer to man's deepest questions? Or is enlightenment to be found in the quiet discipline of a Buddhist temple or the fierce devotion of the Sikh? Since time began, man has expressed his spiritual nature in many tongues, images and rituals. Religions faith has been a source of comfort and inspiration, as will as the catalyst for some of history's darkest hours. This extraordinary program, hosted by Lew Ayres (All Quiet on the Western Front, Dr. Kildare), examines six of the world's greatest religions and the influential offshoots that have emerged over the centuries. You'll get unprecedented access to religious practices around the globe that are usually hidden to those outside the faiths. Altars of the World is a fascinating tapestry of history, culture and travelogue revealing the common pattern of devotion and brotherhood woven from many colorful threads.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Survey of Most Eastern Religions, May 10, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Altars of the World: East [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The video starts with the narrator saying that the video will not be making judgments about any of the religions. Its main idea is to expose us to these different religions. Covered on this tape is Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto. Missing from this is Sikhism. It does cover many of the different sects, but there is no formula for how much is covered on each.

This video was filmed in the 1970s, and for those of us used to more modern videos, this will seem a bit odd. At times, when a particular holy man is focusing on God (or the Ultimate or gods), the producers tried to add special effects. I found these to be distracting. When taking with the dialogue, it seems like an editorial comment on the religion.

If you are just looking for a quick explanation, this would work. At the end is a quick summary of all the religions covered in the series (it includes the Western religions...which is where Sikhism is discussed). I would not use it in a classroom environment, because most textbooks I have viewed go into much deeper detail.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Survey of Religions, May 11, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Altars of the World: West [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Rather than go into too much detail, this video will give a very brief history about the Western religions, and then will touch on the major ideas of each. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are covered, but oddly enough, so is Sikhism. I still don't understand why.

This video was filmed in the 1970s, and for those of us used to more modern videos, this will seem a bit odd. At times, when a particular holy man is focusing on God, the producers tried to add special effects. I found these to be distracting. When taking with the dialogue, it seems like an editorial comment on the religion.

If you are just looking for a quick explanation, this would work. At the end is a quick summary of all the religions covered in the series (it includes the Eastern religions). I would not use it in a classroom environment, because most textbooks I have viewed go into much deeper detail.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Altars of the World, January 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Altars of the World: East [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Very interesting but dated. Presented in a very open minded way for the viewer to draw their own conclusions. I will be showing this to a Comparative Religions class.