Philosophy and Religion

Because we are removed from spirituality today, Smith believes we find it difficult to understand the true meaning of Christianity. Smith explains that Christianity wouldn’t have existed if its “spirit had not been real and dense and palpable and evident to everyone around.” Smith finds the intimate relationship between the Jews and their God “a living conversation between the human and the divine that goes on generation after generation.” Through his son-in-law, Smith came to admire the beauty of the weekly Jewish shabbat, and when his daughter died, he found solace in Jewish mourning rituals. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (57 minutes)

This program explores the two great religions to come from India. “The historian of religion can find almost anything he wants in India, enacted with intensity. What remains is to carry its insight into everyday life.” Smith uncovered the mysteries of multiphonic chanting among Tibetan lamas, previously unknown in the West. Characterizing these chants as “the holiest sound I have ever heard,” Smith reveals the chanting to be a form of meditation. Smith spent ten weeks with a Zen master silently meditating 8 hours a day, where he derived insights that help the viewer understand the way of Zen Buddhism. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (56 minutes)

Expert interviews, dramatic re-creations at Walden Pond, and readings from major works are used to explore the evolution of the American Transcendentalist Movement in the early 19th century. The lives and writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Henry David Thoreau are examined to discover the spiritual foundations for America’s first authentic literary voice. Experts include Harvard University Professor Lawrence Buell, University of South Carolina Professor Joel Myerson, and the authors of three current biographies on Emerson, Fuller, and Thoreau. (27 minutes)