The Religious Dialog Group will meet at 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm in the Large Meeting Room. For the first four sessions (October, November, December, and January) we will review and discuss the well-regarded Frontline series From Jesus to Christ aired on PBS a few years ago. Drawing upon historical evidence that has created a revolution in New Testament scholarship, the PBS Frontline series challenges familiar assumptions and conventional notions about Christian origins. Archaeological finds have yielded new understandings of Jesus’ class and social status; fresh interpretations have transformed earlier ideas about the identity of the early Christians and their communities. Through engaging, on-camera interviews with twelve scholars-New Testament theologians, archaeologists, and historians-the series presents their contributions to this intellectual revolution. Together they represent a range of viewpoints, a diversity of faiths, and a shared commitment to bring new ways of thinking about Christianity to a public audience. PBS Program 1 examines how Judaism and Roman rule, Pax Romana or “Roman peace,” shaped Jesus’ life.
