Customer Reviews

The Question of God: Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This PBS presentation beautifully lays out contrasting views (theism/atheism)... yet somehow never comes off as advocating either one; letting the viewer decide. As much as I love Freud and also warm up to such deep-thinkers as C.S. Lewis... it was the periodic "roundtable" discussion sessions moderated by Dr. Armand Nicholi that blew me away. I found myself pausing this DVD over and over again as I wrote down my own thoughts and, yes, my own spontaneous revelations. It's that sort of program. It makes you want to grab a notebook and a pencil.

I won't tell you which way I lean (Freud? Lewis?)... but I will say BUY THIS! SEE IT! It is quite possibly one of the only sources giving equal time to both sides of this age-old issue. If nothing else, you'll be fascinated at the eruption of thoughts/realizations that you-the viewer will most-certainly experience.

I watched this on PBS the past two weeks. It's 4 hours total, and shows the personal history of these two men (complete with some well done reenactment) and how they came to their beliefs interspersed with a panel of people with different beliefs (believers and nonbelievers) talking about a lot of the basic issues with religion and Christianity. The panel includes a Dr. from Harvard, the editor of Skeptic magazine, and some other really interesting people.

As is to be expected (hey, it's PBS :) The Question of God is very well done. Extremely fascinating, and it makes you think. I was so impressed by it that I'm seriously considering buying it. I'm also going to read C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity.

I expected this video to lean noticeably to either a pro evolution or pro theistic viewpoint. The editors have done an excellent job at presenting both sides fairly. It was very helpful to see the story of Freud and Lewis' childhood and early adulthood. This is an important video for anyone interested in the current debate.

I was especially pleased with the roundtable discussions of a focus group. It is a delight to see unscripted opinions being expressed in a non confrontative format. The panel is also well balanced, with no shills on either side. This has become my favorite Nova presentation and I highly recommend it to just about anyone interested in a well rounded education.

I have watched this DVD for the past week now. It's a great, in depth look at two powerful, twenith-century thinkers. I also find myself returning to it over and over. It has a great staying power and keeps the interest held high.

The DVD successfully intertwines both actors protraying Freud and Lewis and a roundtable discussion of the ideas behind the two men. I found both aspects of the DVD to be very well done. The actors did an amazing job playing Freud and Lewis and the discussions were well intentioned and provided some thought-provoking information.

That being said, I did have a hard time with some of the people participating in the discussion. For the most part, they were well informed and very well educated. Some though, simply did not have any sort of rationale or basis for their opinion/beliefs (either theistic or atheistic). Perhaps experts in this field would have suited the debate better and provided a more meaningful discussion. (i.e. Philosophers, theologans, professors, etc.)

Overall, an excellent DVD.

This program is a must see to those who are skeptical or questioning their beliefs in God. These two men (Freud and Lewis) are so contrasted and different from each other that it makes for a good argument by both sides. No doubt, Lewis' testimony and influence is widespread and powerful. The arguments in which scholars and psychologists alike test the waters of their beliefs and world view further enhance the program and Freud's and Lewis' beliefs. An excellent witnessing tool for Believers to show to non-Believers who struggle with these tough questions!

C.S. Lewis has always been a hero of mine--even before I knew anything about his personal life.
I'd read his books for years (in fact, I've read MERE CHRISTIANITY several times) but didn't know much about him until I saw the movie SHADOWLANDS with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in 1993. What an introduction! Since then, I've read several biographies, watched the British TV version of SHADOWLANDS, and even attended a stage version. I've actually started reading his Narnia books as well, looking forward to the big-budget Hollywood version heading to screens in Christmas of '05.

So I watched with much interest this PBS show that compared and contrasted the lives of Lewis and Sigmund Freud. The best parts for me were watching the recreations of their lives and intercutting their words into a dialogue or argument. I don't know as much about Freud but I think they did a great job of portraying Lewis and representing what his life and writings meant.

The only part that didn't really work was the roundtable discussions with the professor who taught this study as a class. A couple of people came off as rather shallow since they were trying to sound deep about something they didn't really believe in the first place. There were a few interesting moments, but it felt tedious to be cutting away from the biographical segments that were so much more interesting.

Still, definitely worth having and watching.

I found this DVD to be very enlightening and entertaining. It records a study, or 'conversation', between some believers (though not necessarily Christians) and some skeptics, concerning God and his operations/origins. Two men are used as a short of skeleton or rubric for this study: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. It is interesting to see the questions Freud (who predates Lewis by approximately 60 years) asks, and the answers Lewis gives, and the questions Lewis asks, and the answers (though not in the same chronological fashion of course) Freud gives.

Each man is obviously very intelligent, and is considered in his certain field of study an expert, if not a revolutionary - certainly in the case with Freud, many would quite reasonably say he is the 'father' or psycho-analysis. Lewis would, of course, deny any such acclamation and say he is an unread layman.

All the deep, important, and controversial questions are asked. This is an unrestrained coversation, between people who believe in God, and people who are skeptical. Nothing is left in the dark. Questions about pain, existence, morality, love, good and evil, are all hashed out.

There are of course no mathematical answers reached (for if there were, we would all either be on one side of the fence or the other), but some very perceptive points are made and some insightful questions are asked. Make no mistake, the people in this video are learned individuals: one a Harvard Graduate Doctor, one Editor of 'Skeptic' Magazine, one an author, one a film director; they have able minds and unique insight.

If you are interested in a real conversation between believers and skeptics, I would recommend this video. I would not, however, recommend this if you are wanting to learn in depth about Lewis's philosophy/theology or Freud's psychology. Each view is skimmed, and enough information is given to acquaint one with perhaps a little higher than a general understanding. But no man's ideas are fully explored. If you want that, I would suggest Lewis's Signature Classics, or Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams.

The PBS home video, The Question of God based off of Dr. Nicholi's book compares the lives of Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. While the book was exceptional, the DVD is mediocre. The DVD features a comparison of the lives of these two greats with a narration and actors depicting Lewis and Freud. The quality is excellent, but, it lacks the depth of the book.

The other part of the DVD is the round table discussion, and here it utterly fails. There is really one person, Michael Shermer, who is impressive in answering the questions offered by Nicholi. On the religious side, most of the "religious people" (from Buddhism to Christianity) fail to really answers agnostic and atheists objections beside "it is faith" or "many types of evidence." While there may some truth to this, they fail in their presentation and in providing larger, stronger arguments. One wonders if anyone on the panel really ever read Lewis at all? The other "non-believers" raised the typical straw men objections and other silly statements (the attorney is absolutely, horrible, I hope he doesn't use his own criteria when evaluating a case). Shermer, while I think he is often wrong, does a very good job (as always, Shermer is always likable and presents his points well). There are good answers to his statements, but no one on this panel presented any.

I am surprised by the many five stars. Maybe I am missing something, but I really think this is average, no better, no worse.

Whether theist or atheist most people gravitate toward resources that offer evidence for their preconceived opinions. This series doesn't do that. At times the persuasion of C. S. Lewis is so strong that the DVD feels like the sort of evangelical piece that should be shown in churches. At these moments one wonders if it would be banned in our public school system. At other times the logic of Sigmund Freud pulls just as strongly towards atheism. At these moments one wonders if the entire series would be banned from many churches. To add further dimension to the discussion Dr. Armand Nicholi created a panel of seven intelligent persons to wrestle with the question of God. Three of these are theists and three are atheists. Dr. Nicholi fills the seventh chair as a moderator. He takes great pains to be unbiased while making sure the discussion stays on track. After viewing this series one may have all sorts of ideas, but one will not be able to honestly label either side as "backward" or "less intelligent".

As a college philosophy instructor I particularly like the format of the discussion. While not using philosophical jargon the series starts with a section on Epistemology (theories of knowledge) by pitting the scientific world view against the spiritual world view. From here the series naturally leans toward Metaphysics (the big picture questions, God, cosmos, ontology, etc.). The series next follows a logical progression into Ethics with discussions on morality. Finally there is a perfect wrap up section on pain and dying.

The DVD contains a study guide that works well with each section. There are nine sections, but some may be coupled to complete the series in fewer sessions. I originally intended to skip a few sections but quickly discovered that doing so created a bias toward or against religious belief. While I personally don't have a problem with such a bias, everyone has a bias on this subject, creating the bias destroys the intent of the entire series and reduces the work to a propaganda piece. This is easy to do.

I considered myself an agnostic for years. In presented two points of view from two of the most intelligent men of the 20 century, this book guides you through much self-examination. In reading and considering each perspective argument, I found myself landing consistently on one side of the fence. With the help of the author, I've now throughly examined my own perspective on this very important question and have come to my own unequivocal conclusion. I no longer waver, and feel completely comfortable with my belief system. I believe it will help you do the same.