Special is Holy Week treat

Imagine spending the first part of Holy Week talking to a dozen theologians and Scripture scholars about who Jesus was, why He attracted so many followers so soon after His death and how they carried on His mission despite murderous persecution.

That would be a great way to wind up your Lenten reflections as you head into Easter weekend. But it's not within the realm of possibility, right? Ah, but it is. A four-hour PBS special, "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians," airing on April 6-7, provides lots to learn and think about, a few things to question, and many reasons for additional reading.

Part of PBS's "Frontline" series, "From Jesus to Christ" is divided into four hour-long segments:

1. "Pax Romana" -- an examination of the culture Jesus was born into, this part provides His biography with commentary by scholars about what recent discoveries have shown;

2. "A Light to the Nations" -- a study of how Christ's followers began to spread His message throughout the Middle East, with concentration on St. Paul's journeys throughout the region;

3. "Let the Reader Understand" -- an introduction to how the four Gospels came to be written and to whom they were addressed;

4. "Kingdoms in Conflict" -- a look into how the Roman Empire and early Christianity clashed, and then came together under Constantine.

The special is designed like the many biblical documentaries shown on other cable networks, such as A&E and Discovery: Scholars comment while viewers are treated to sites in the Holy Land, views of archeological digs, and glimpses of art and sculpture.

Among the experts interviewed in "From Jesus to Christ" are Elizabeth Clark, professor of religion at Duke; John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University; Paula Fredriksen, a Scripture professor from Boston University; and Wayne A. Meeks, a professor of biblical studies at Yale.

What they and eight others say can be enlightening and sometimes disconcerting (one claims that Jesus was probably not born in Bethlehem, for example), but their conversation is always interesting. Here are some samples:

* "To say that somebody [in Jesus' time] is an artisan or a carpenter is not to compliment them. It is to say that they are lower in the pecking order than a peasant farmer." -- Crossan.

* "Women owned the houses in which the early Christians met....I don't think the women...were simply providing coffee and cookies....This probably gave them some avenue to power...in the Church." -- Clark.

* "We don't have tens of thousands of people being martyred. What we do have is tens of thousands of people admiring the few who are martyred." -- Fredriksen.

Educational

This program also provides some basic education that every Catholic should have: for example, the chronology of the Gospels, what "Q" means in biblical studies, the geography of the Mediterranean and even a moving tribute to St. Perpetua.

Viewers should approach "From Jesus to Christ" with the realization that they are not necessarily listening to dogma or Catholic Church teaching. The latter is so because the scholars represent a range of denominations. The former is so because the Scripture scholars, religious historians and theologians are presenting ideas based on their research. Much of it is speculative and could change with future discoveries.

In short, these are not homilies; these are intellectual discussions. They are meant to prompt further study and research on the part of viewers, who can check the Catechism, the library at their parish, Catholic newspapers and magazines, and other resources to find out more. Certainly, the program should move people to read the New Testament -- this time with a deeper appreciation for its origins.

"From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians" is superior television: thought-provoking, intelligent, artful and neatly timed for Catholics who want the first part of Holy Week to be something more than just another Monday and Tuesday.

("From Jesus to Christ" will be shown on WMHT, channel 17, on April 6-7 at 9 p.m. Additional information about the show is available on the internet at www.pbs.org/frontline.)

(04-02-98)

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