Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, June 10, 2002
This review is from: Genesis - A Living Conversation Complete Five Volume Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Finally a clear and definitive rendering of biblical stories unclouded by gross distortions such as the King James Version. Bill Moyers is by far one the most brilliant, logical and heart centered individuals of our time. I highly recommend this to any and all. I'm buying a copy for the pastor my church.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
interested viewer, September 19, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Genesis - A Living Conversation Complete Five Volume Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I enjoyed the videos immensely when they were originally screened, and am now buying it as a gift for a Bat Mitzvah. There is a wide range of opinions expressed, ranging from 'liberal' to 'literal.' Even for young people and lay people there is considerable scholarship and research shown to help one grasp the depth of the stories and their context; also the approaches of "classical" Jewish interpretation and study--most from the viewpoint of Jewish Theological Seminary (i.e. "conservative" Judaism). Mandy Patankin's readings are superb, and the videos will become also part of my reference library. In general, most of the Christian theologians had relatively little feel for the Hebrew text, intonations, and overtones. Hearing the textual commentaries of the Jewish scholars should be eye/ear opening for educated lay people of all faiths. For those who are more secular and/or skeptical in background, the historiographical context, research, and text comparisons foster a "rationalist" appreciation of Genesis. There is ample room shown for those who want to learn about Bible but not be imprisoned by overly literal readings of various English language translations.
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4 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Different Points of View, August 24, 2001
This review is from: Genesis - A Living Conversation Complete Five Volume Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This Genesis video is a discussion between Bill Moyers and a panel of guests from different faiths. The premise for the discussion is that the book of Genesis serves as a foundation for the three of the world's largest religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The discussions are interesting. The only thing that is lacking is a more conservative Christian point of view. Moyers brought in more liberal speakers to represent Christianity. The problem is that they only represent about 10% of Christian beliefs. The result is that they translate the words of Genesis very loosely and it's stories are rarely taken literally, but are seen more as "symbolic" or they have "many interpretations". As a Christian myself, I found that to be disappointing. I did however enjoy the comments of the Islamic and Jewish leaders. Overall, the discussion enhanced my view on the book of Genesis and gave me some "food for thought" even though I didn't agree with many of the speakers.
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