Friday 2 January 2009

TV: Faiths Around the World

A new TV series called Around the World in 80 Faiths is starting tonight at 9pm on BBC2.

In it, the Rev Peter Owen Jones travels from country to country to look at non-mainstream religions. In the first episode he travels to Australia to find out about Aboriginal ceremonies as well as talking to some modern witches about their religion.

Although I don't know what Rev Jones is like, I would hope he takes a sympathetic view of non-Christian faiths. However, the write-up of the first episode of Around the World in 80 Faiths in the Radio Times said Rev Jones "struggles to even observe a witch's ceremony, let alone connect with it".

Nevertheless, I'm quite looking forward to this series, out of curiosity if nothing else. I very much enjoyed an earlier BBC series called Around the World in 80 Treasures with historian Dan Cruickshank.

Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/12_december/18/faiths.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Cruickshank

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this programme, and the other two series Peter Owen Jones has done for the BBC. His visit to modern witches in Australia allowed him to examine his own stereotypes and prejudices about witches in an open and honest way, and to say how shamefully the Christian church had treated those alleged to be witches in the past. He did find it hard to connect with them, and left some time into the ritual, but at least he was honest.

Anonymous said...

A superb first episode. Thought Peter O-Jones was open, honest and wonderfully human. I am also a C of E priest, and long for more of this. We are a frightened species (we Christian Clergy). He has challenged us all to open our eyes and discover the treasures of ritual, belief, experiences of deity etc. that exist in places and peoples that, for centuries, have been taboo.
Mark T

Anonymous said...

A superb first episode. Thought Peter O-Jones was open, honest and wonderfully human. I am also a C of E priest, and long for more of this. We are a frightened species (we Christian Clergy). He has challenged us all to open our eyes and discover the treasures of ritual, belief, experiences of deity etc. that exist in places and peoples that, for centuries, have been taboo.
Mark T

Badwitch said...

Chilledchimp - I enjoyed the programme too. I did feel a bit of sympathy for Peter O in that pagan ritual. He said he left two hours into the ritual - that seems extraordinarily long for a ritual. I guess the witches were putting on something really special for him, but perhaps something shorter would have been better.

Mark - Lovely to get a comment from a C of E priest. I agree that Peter O-Jones was open and honest about his feelings and I look forward to watching more of the series. I also hope you will leave more comments on my blog if you feel like it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you. I'm very happy to add to your forum / blog.

I've been part of some truly beautiful pagan rituals over the last year. An OBOD Beltane celebration was especially memorable.

Just wish my dear old C of E could climb down an inch from its pedestal of respectablity and religiosity, and allow itself to encounter some of the raw spirit out there in the forest etc. - it might save it from going udner altogther!!!
Bright blessings!
Mark T