Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Wellspring Media
• VHS Release Date: November 11, 1998
• Run Time: 134 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 630407803X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #523,327 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

From coast to coast, from truck driver and clown to actress and noted author, from Buddhist to born-again Christian, Americans read the words of Jesus Christ as quoted in the Bible in this unusual two-video set. Adapted from the book of the same name, Norris J. Chumley's documentary begins with an interview of the book's author, Stephen Mitchell, and then launches into Chumley's cross-country tour, featuring a variety of people in many faiths reading excepts from the Gospels in chronological order. While some celebrities, such as Susan Sarandon, Judy Collins, and Maya Angelou, are featured, the bulk of the recitations are performed by ordinary Americans doing what they do: sewing, harvesting corn, often while reading passages. "Part Two: What Does it Mean?" divides the passages from the first tape into subject matter ("Healing," "The Prodigal Son," and such) and lets both the reciters from the first tape and additional experts (such as priests, rabbis, and professors) weigh in on what Jesus meant by them. The second tape also features a serious discussion on the merits and pitfalls of reinterpreting the Bible. Both tapes time in at 67 minutes and make for a surprisingly moving, as well as intellectual, experience. --Kimberly Heinrichs

From the back cover

There is no person in the history of the world who has been so famous and so widely interpreted as Jesus of Nazareth. For two thousand years, beginning with the Gospels, people have tried to capture the essence of his teachings in words, in music--and in their daily experience. The Gospel According to Jesus continues this noble quest by focusing on Jesus' own words. This program is based on poet/scholar Stephen Mitchell's popular Harper-Collins book. Critics called it "a masterpiece of immense power and permanence" and "a bottomless text, so large-hearted that it can cause one to gasp with wonder and relief." This section features a reading of Jesus' own words and teachings by people all over America. Emmy award-winning producer/director Norris J. Chumley packed his van with video gear, embarking on a 10,000 mile "spiritual road trip." His goal was to record these teachings on the lips--and in the hearts--of modern Americans: rich and poor, young and old, women and men, educated and uneducated, black white, yellow and brown. This real-life "living gospel" can be embraced by believers (of all faiths) and non-believers alike. In the first part of this program, we heard "The Gospel According to Jesus," as told throughout America. In this section, we've gathered reflections and comments from all kinds of people, including theologians, philosophers, psychologists, priests, rabbis, Zen masters, Muslim leaders, Native Americans, spiritual healers, conservatives, liberals and skeptics. The question they ask and the issues they raise may help you on your own spiritual journey: Translating the teachings of Jesus; Healing; Prayer; The Prodigal Son; The Crucifixion; Who was Jesus?; The Kingdom of God; Forgiveness; The Woman Caught in Adultery; The Resurrection. The remarkable results show how vividly the 2,000-year-old teachings of Jesus of Nazareth still thrive in today's world.