A Question of Faith

Starring:Harry Andrews
Studio: First Look Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Question of God: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis makes an exhaustive yet stimulating case that Freud, father of psychoanalysis, and Lewis, author and Oxford scholar, are exemplary representatives of their respective secular and spiritual belief systems. This two-part PBS program grew out of a quarter-century-old Harvard course taught by Armand M. Nicholi, in which the backgrounds of Freud and Lewis (born a generation apart) are compared and contrasted for formative experiences that drove one man toward a science-based atheism (Freud's conclusion that belief in God stems from childhood fear and helplessness) and the other away from atheism toward Christianity (Lewis's assertion that one can reject religion and find a personal path toward God). Through dramatized scenes featuring actors playing Lewis and Freud, the show simulates a kind of give-and-take between these deeply influential men. Somewhat less interesting are interspersed excerpts from a roundtable discussion, moderated by Nicholi, among various people (writers, filmmakers, etc.) who talk about their own experiences of faith. --Tom Keogh

Description

Based on a popular Harvard course taught by Dr. Armand Nicholi, author of The Question of God, the series illustrates the lives and insights of Sigmund Freud, a life-long critic of religious belief, and C.S. Lewis, a celebrated Oxford don, literary critic, and perhaps this century's most influential and popular proponent of faith based on reason.

Customer Reviews:

Perceptive Conversation.......2007-06-16

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.

Compelling.......2007-03-24

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.

Balanced and fair. An interesting Docu!.......2006-12-30

It's really great to get both sides of the argument in one unbiased presentation. I myself am an atheist. Most reviews seem to be attacking the weakness and cynicism of Freud's arguments. However, truth be told, it really wouldn't matter how good an argument an atheist presents, nothing can dim the sweet promise of life continuing after death for religious people. Even though humans share roughly the same body design of all terrestrial vertebrates, even though we give birth to and feed our young in the exact same way as most placental mammals, even though most of our senses are actually far inferior to most other creatures, and even though we share 96+% of our DNA with chimpanzees, it just can't be that OUR deaths are the end of our existence. Death being the end of things for a chimp is fine, but I suppose we believe if we're intelligent enough to contemplate such a thing as an afterlife, then we should be entitled to some kind of cosmic compensation, even though no convincing evidence of such a thing has ever been produced. If there's an omnipotent god who created us, why did he screw up so much? Why are so many people suffering from near/far sightedness, and with debilitating diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's Syndrome? What was god thinking when he decided to give us an appendix? Why exactly are earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis an inescapable necessity in god's perfectly created Earth? When god said, 'let there be light', why didn't he also say, 'except for deadly, cancer causing UV rays, because my people will have enough to deal with, what with all the earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and such'?

What you believe or don't believe won't change what happens to you after death, so I suppose this argument is a rather pointless one. However, choosing the manner in which you live based on what you think will happen after death is of major significance. This Docu takes great strides in presenting both sides of these completely incompatible worldviews.

Is there a God? I know so!.......2006-09-20

I watched this program on PBS's website for free. This was a very good program on the diametrically opposed views of the existence of God. Although it was done in the typical PBS fashion. That is to say, it leaves you to draw your own conclusion (the politically correct way for you "free thinker" types). Sniff, sniff, do I smell hints of secular higher education here?

My own view after watching this program is, overall, Frued's arguments are rather lame, full of self-created psycobable hocus-pocus mumbo-jumbo nonsense and just plain leaves a lot to be desired. He simply doesn't have a leg to stand on. Freud belittles religion at every step in this documentary (remember that organized religion has pre-dated Freud by more than 4,000+ years so it has easily withstood the test of time). So it cannot be dismissed by Freud so easily. Also remember that Freud basically invented all his own theories himself. I emphasize the word "theories" here. All within the time frame of his own short life span.

C.S. Lewis's argument that the mere fact that humans have a conscious and the moral law is found within everybody's own "heart" causing them to behaive in a certain way, transeding time, history and cultural experiences is, as far as I'm concerned, sound. Proving, of course, the existence of God. Of course, Freuds argument here is that that the moral law is itself found within time, history and cultural experiences is pretty much nonsense. Many societies in history never even knew of the existence of the other society, yet they all seem to develop the same basic moral law framework to one degree or another. If Freud is correct, then how did a moral law leap from pre-history to history? Have you ever noticed that in even the earliest of civilizations there is at least some basic modicum of moral behaivor? As stated in this program by one of the scholar interviews; "... I've never known a society in civilizations history in which lying, cheating, stealing, rape and murder are considered to be a virtue and that truth, honesty, love, charity and humility are considered to be a vice".

Freuds dismissal of religion as being "...a kind of childhood fantasy" is basically a sorry excuse for a miserable cop-out that it is. And that the wish for a God is a kind of "neurosis" that we as humans all inherently possess, is utterly and deeply flawed.

Is it a neurosis that Freud derived great pride and pleasure from his own family? How about the love and compassion towards his own children? Was that a neurosis?

I'm always amazed (and amused) at just how easily most "higher thinkers and scholars" will sell out themselves, just for status and secure position within their various fields. In this program, we see a good example of this. Both Freud and Lewis did it. Fortunately for C.S. Lewis, he came to his senses and began to see the error of his ways. And ultimately, redemption.

In the end, Sigmund Freud turned into a rather bitter, crotchety, obstinate, defiant and self-centered old man. C.S. Lewis, on the other hand, turned into a kind, warm, modest, humble, compassionate and selfless old man. Which do you wish to become? Which do you prefer to associate yourself with? (also; is there any coincodence to why just about every still image I see of Freud he is frowning and looks geniunely unhappy and tense and just about every still image of Lewis I see he is smiling, looks geniunely happy and relaxed?). I think not.

One other thing I feel worth pointing out. It seems that all throughout history, that the typical "free thinking atheistic/agnostic scholar types" alway seem to suffer some kind of extremely debilitating problem or disease right near the ends of their pathetic, miserable lives. Freud did and so did Nietsche, just to name two. (Nietsche went insane at the end of his life).

On the other hand, C.S. Lewis did not. In fact, he lapsed into a coma (as did his wife!), and then miracoulsly snapped out of it and recovered (they both did!). I found this rather interesting and quit telling. Leave God out of your life, and you'll regret it at one point or another. Accept the fact that God is God, place your trust in him, love him and you don't have anything to worry about.

Let this be a lesson to all you pseudo-intellectual elitist types.

A balanced presentation that either side will enjoy........2006-01-16

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.

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

Average customer rating:

Perceptive Conversation
Compelling
Balanced and fair. An interesting Docu!
Is there a God? I know so!
A balanced presentation that either side will enjoy.

The Question of God - Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis
Starring: Simon Jones , Michael Shermer , and Peter Eyre
Director: Catherine Tatge
Manufacturer: Pbs (Direct)
ProductGroup: DVD
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Amazon.com

Description

What is happiness? How do we find meaning and purpose in our lives? Is there a God? How do we reconcile conflicting claims of love and sexuality? How do we cope with the problem of suffering and the inevitability of death? This series addresses these issues, which preoccupy all thinking people today. The series will frame these issues in the eventful lives of two men who held diametrically opposed world views: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis.

Customer Reviews:

Perceptive Conversation.......2007-06-16

Compelling.......2007-03-24

Balanced and fair. An interesting Docu!.......2006-12-30

Is there a God? I know so!.......2006-09-20

A balanced presentation that either side will enjoy........2006-01-16

Average customer rating:

The question we all ask at least Once in our lives
Not what I expected

The Big Question
Starring: Mel Gibson , Monica Bellucci , Christo Jivkov , Shaila Rubin , and Jarreth J. Merz
Director: Alberto Molinari , and Francesco Cabras
Manufacturer: VHE
ProductGroup: DVD
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Unknown

ASIN: B000EQ5T1K
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Product Description

Shot on the set of Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, this documentary interviews various people--including actors Monica Bellucci and Jim Caviezel, and Gibson himself--about their theological beliefs. THE BIG QUESTION is not a "behind-the-scenes" film, but simply uses the film-set as a backdrop to explore the spiritual underpinnings of our lives.

System Requirements:

Running Time 75 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

The question we all ask at least Once in our lives.......2006-10-21

This is a very thoughtful and charming documentary directed by Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari. Of the cast and crew from the motion picture "The Passion of Christ" get asked about their own personal beliefs and faith when it comes to God. Over 200 people were interviewed. Everyone from Jews, to Christians, to Muslims, to Atheists, to people who are still looking for the answers give a very open and honest take on the big theological questions we all ask at least once in our lifetime. Yet, the best part about this documentary is that it is not preachy, rather, we merely sit back and listen to people's individual life experiences and stories. There is a rich pallet of ideas as we hear people's frank and personal opinions about God, Religion, and how they see the world around them.

This documentary consistently remains thoughtful, never breaks into a sermon, but lets us think and come to our own conclusions. Instead of trying to force the concepts on us, we learn from others, and as God would have it allows us to freely make the choice to come to Him. This film is more about a discourse than any one specific message, but if it has a message it is that we all are wonderful and unique as human beings.

Not what I expected.......2006-08-24

Definately not what I expected. Lots of poignant questions, but not much in the way of thoughtful answers. They asked the cast and crew of The Passion questions about their religious beliefs. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Heaven? Do you believe in miracles? And many more such questions. Many answers were brief or vague or unrelated to the question at hand. However, there were a few thoughtful answers worth listening to. Much of the film was artsy filming, a lone dog wandering around in a scenic area, sunsets, that sort of thing. Overall, I have to say I didn't get much from it, although someone else might. I doubt if I would watch it more than once.

Average customer rating:

The Title "Question of Faith" says it All
Encouraging & uplifting
A very poor science fiction pseudo-religious drama

A Question of Faith
Starring: Harry Andrews
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Easy
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love

ASIN: B00005NKST
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Description

What would you do if you came face to face with a miracle? In the heart of California wine country lies a monastery where centuries-old traditions of ritual, discipline and solitude create a timeless serenity--until one dazzling moment changes everything. A member of the order experiences a miraculous encounter with implications that are both stunning and uplifting. As the community struggles with the ramifications, long-buried conflicts begin to surface. Soon, the Brothers are forced to grapple with the fundamental tension between faith and reason, but their lives will never be the same again.

Customer Reviews:

The Title "Question of Faith" says it All.......2005-02-16

I originally saw this movie at the Sundance Film Festival when it was first released and the name was "Blessed Art Thou". Being a Catholic I was very open-minded to the contents of the movie and realize there is quite a bit of symbolism taking place. I enjoyed the move. But having the opportunity to speak with the producer and the cast of the film made it more enjoyable. The insight they gave me was very helpful to understand where they were coming from and why the movie was made. The producer/director is Catholic but no longer practices. As he said because of all the changes in the church he "questioned his faith". I feel that one has to try to understand what the point they are trying to get across. One of the points is that in today's society, we have a hard time accepting a miracle. We want an explaination for the miracle, instead of just accepting it for what it is. I would recommend anyone who believes to see the movie. I know the acting is not up for an Oscar, but the real purpose for making the movie it what one should enjoy.

Encouraging & uplifting.......2004-09-30

I found this movie very encouraging. A few years ago I was trying to recover from several health problems and was glad to find a movie that showed natural methods of healing. I'm a christian & believe God has many methods He uses to show us natural ways to heal along with prayer. This movie showed options such as nutrition, exercise, visual imagery, accupuncture, etc. I healed from all my ailments that were considered "incurable" by natural methods and movies like this helped keep me focused and uplifted while I was healing.

A very poor science fiction pseudo-religious drama.......2004-06-08

Never before have I seen a movie script that treats the subject of miracles in such a shallow, silly, and simply ridiculous manner. Miracles are supposed to be events that go BEYOND reason, not contrary to reason. I had to force myself to see this movie through the end. Would you consider reasonable a "miracle" where your dog slowly starts to become a cat? Or your car turning into a boat? Take a "miracle" like that and sprinkle some cheap biblical spice on it and you can probably come up yourself with a better and more believable plot. This is a very, very, very poor movie. If you are into religion this movie will probably find this movie insulting and annoying. If you're not, you will likely find it just plain unintelligent. Spend your money and time someplace else.

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