In October, 2010, Larry Eskridge from the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College asked me to help produce People of Faith: Christianity in America, a six episode video series that tells the story of American Christianity in all its diversity from the colonial period to the present. The series is a fast-paced account of the people, ideas, movements, and organizations that influenced the course of America’s Christians down through the years.
People of Faith: Christianity in America is available through Vision Video. Call 1-800-523-0226 or log on to
http://www.peopleoffaithseries.com to order the 2 DVD set for home or congregational resource library.
The scope of this project is massive. Larry, writer Steve Rabey and producer Paul Butler began the project in 2006, but the sheer weight of the material brought production to a crawl. Larry and Paul asked me to drive the length of the field and move the ball over the goal line (to use a sports metaphor)! My role has been as producer, videographer and editor. Paul did quite a few scholar interviews early on. He also began the editing process on episode 3. Steve Rabey wrote the scripts for all six episodes. After taking over the project I contributed with additional scholar interviews, hours of new worship footage, historical landscape exteriors, hours and hours of editing including narration recording with Tim Lundeen and narrator Maurice England.
Synopsis
Episode 1. Faith in America: From Monarchs to the Marketplace
The people who arrived on the shores of the New World came from many places. They came for many reasons. And most of them brought with them traditions of Christian faith that had been practiced in Europe for centuries. But an interesting thing happened once these new arrivals settled down in this vast and fertile land. The regulation of religious practices that had long been controlled by kings and governments in Europe was now up for grabs.
Over time these people of faith created something in America that had never been seen in the history of the world. They created a nation where this religious freedom gave birth to unprecedented levels of religious diversity, experimentation and competition among churches and religious groups.
These spiritual pioneers laid the foundation for a spiritually diverse New World where faith and practice were no longer controlled by monarchs, but by common, everyday men and women.
Episode 2. Many Mansions
Jesus once told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” And many Americans have embodied this diversified vision of heaven in the way they look for churches. But how did American religion become so diverse? The answer has a lot to do with the people who came here, and the policies they established.
Episode 3. Rebels with a Cause
Christians have played an important role in American public and political life from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean people of faith always speak with one voice on social issues. In fact, members of various churches and faith traditions have frequently found themselves on opposing sides of these issues—often pursuing different priorities and outcomes. The one thing they do have in common is that people of faith share a common desire to battle principalities and powers to usher in their vision of a better world and often see themselves as “rebels with a cause”.
Episode 4. Challenges and Change
For generation after generation, Americans worked to create a place for faith at the center of public life. But you know what they say: “The only thing that’s constant is change itself.” As times changed, culture changed. So churches and religious groups responded to cultural change by focusing on new issues and challenges.
While Christians applied their faith in new ways to new problems, other people suggested that faith was irrelevant for modern times. But Christians in America were not about to give up. Instead, they reached down deep, re-examined their faith, and explored ways to apply their values to the changing social landscape.
Once Christians in America felt they had created the ideal church or the good society, new developments and challenges arose which upset the status quo and forced them to rethink their beliefs and find new ways to apply them to current conditions.
Episode 5. Home Grown Saints
More than any other nation, America has given its citizens the freedom to shape their religious lives as they see fit. Centuries ago in Europe, religion was largely controlled by popes and potentates. But America has taken a more open approach that has leveled the playing field, allowing anyone and everyone to play a role in the country’s thriving religious life.
America has been home to so many people of faith that it’s challenging to pick out ten of the most influential Christian leaders of the past two and one-half centuries. Home Grown Saints is a short list of ten men and women of faith who had a great impact on the shape of Christian faith in America.
Episode 6. The Future of Christianity
Christianity spread throughout the world over the past 2,000 years. And it has thrived in America over the past two centuries. But what does the future hold for faith? We asked Catholic, Protestant and evangelical experts eight questions about the future of Christian faith in America.
People of Faith: Christianity in America is designed for use in congregational settings, adult forums and Sunday school classes. Featuring leading authors and scholars of American Church History including:
Martin Marty: University of Chicago
Curtis Evans: University of Chicago
Mark Noll: University of Notre Dame
Scott Appleby: University of Notre Dame
Jean Bethke Elshtain: University of Chicago
Joel Carpenter: Calvin College
Philip Gleason: University of Notre Dame
Thomas Kidd: Baylor University
Darren Dochuk: Purdue University
Kathryn Long: Wheaton College.
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