Everybody knows the story of Santa Claus, the red–suited figure who lives at the North Pole and distributes gifts to good children every Christmas eve. But is there any historical evidence on which this jolly old character is based? Was there a real Santa Claus? To answer that question, host Mark Wilson, a distinguished historian and archeologist travels not to the North Pole but to modern day Turkey and Italy. There he uncovers clues that lead to the truth about the man behind the legend.
They started out as average, unexceptional men of their time: fishermen, farmers, local magistrates. But their dedication to a prophetic Jewish preacher in the backwaters of the Roman Empire transformed them into revolutionaries and, in the process, changed the world itself in ways that would reverberate across time for two thousand years.
This Changed Everything: 500 Years of the Reformation celebrates the fruits of the Reformation while exploring difficult questions about the cost of division: Could schism have been avoided? Is there hope for reunification? What did Jesus really mean when He prayed for His followers to be "one"?
Dr. David Livingstone took the Gospel to Africa in word and deed. As a medical doctor he treated the sick, earning him the necessary trust and respect to teach the love of Christ which many Africans freely embraced. Then Livingstone turned his attention to exploration, seeing this work as much a spiritual calling as traditional missionary work. Facing danger and sickness he forged routes deep into the African interior sparking the imagination of many who would follow.
This documentary tells the true account of the courageous young martyr of the early church. Hosted by Mike Aquilina.
A Story that Took a Half Century to Be Told. This moving historical documentary explores the remarkable spirit and faith of the Volga German people.
Set in a courtroom, The Bible On Trial: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt examines the contributions of biblical analysis, ancient historical voices, archaeology and the testimony of first-century followers of Jesus Christ in its quest to determine the reliability and accuracy of the Bible’s message.
Join Rainer Wälde as he sets out on a fascinating journey through Europe on the trail of the Celtic saints. Discover the origins of Christianity in Ireland and journey with the Irish monks as they embark on their great adventure through France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
This four-part documentary explores the history of The Salvation Army. Host John Cleary traces the path of this powerful movement from its origins to the present day.
Briars in the Cotton Patch tells the nearly forgotten story of Koinonia Farm, a small Christian community in Southwest Georgia where whites and blacks chose to live and work together as equals despite the brutal and frightening consequences in the years leading up to the tumultuous Civil Rights era.
Carry Me Home is a short film following the true story of Maria Ennals (Lindsey Grimble) and her family in the Antebellum South in the cold winter of 1860. Maria is a young mother trapped in slavery who seizes the opportunity to escape with her family when she encounters HARRIET TUBMAN (Karen Abercrombie, War Room).
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? How did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus? Why do we have Christmas trees? Charting Christmas provides answers to these questions and many more as it explores the history of Christmas.
When Nazi forces invaded Holland in 1940 and began rounding up Jews, Corrie ten Boom, her sister Betsie, and their elderly father risked their lives to save as many as possible. A hidden room was secretly built in their home where the oppressed Jews took refuge until a Gestapo raid put an end to their operation. Corrie ten Boom: a Faith Undefeated recounts this unforgettable story for a new generation.
One of the most influential and yet little known figures of eighteenth-century American evangelicalism. Filmed at historical locations throughout the northeastern U.S., David Brainerd: Missionary to the American Indians tells the story of the visionary eighteenth-century missionary whose efforts led to spiritual revival amongst native tribes and inspired generations of Christian leaders to follow in his footsteps.
In this major two-part BBC documentary series, beloved actor David Suchet, best known for his role as Detective Hercule Poirot on PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery, goes on a compelling journey in search of Simon bar Jonah, better known as St. Peter.
He lived for the glory of God as an Olympic athlete, a husband and father, a missionary to China, and even as a prisoner in an internment camp.
"Fearless Freddie" was a man who saw his enemy as also his brother, offering aid to Japanese survivors of his attacks.
A look at the accomplishments of this remarkable 100-plus-year-old man.
This documentary tells the story of Frank Jenner, a street evangelist who at the height of WWII led many to Christ by asking a simple question: “If you died within 24 hours where would your soul be in eternity, Heaven or Hell?” Learn about Jenner’s life and hear from the many people who came to faith through his outreach.
Nearly 100 years after the Pilgrim’s landed at Plymouth Rock, the New England colonists had largely traded the Christian ideals of their fore-bearers for the gods of material success. But then the Great Awakening swept through New England and the other British colonies bringing about a powerful spiritual renewal. Through the use of extensive source material, unique still images, and interviews with history scholars, this documentary traces the origins of the Great Awakening and follows its progression throughout the colonies.
Biblical theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis just days before the Allies defeated Germany in World War II. This gripping documentary narrated by Ed Asner captures the life, times, and thought of Bonhoeffer. Using rare archival footage, documents, and visits to original locations, we get an intimate portrait of a man whose life and writings grow in their influence and speak powerfully to issues of our own day some 50 years later. How does a man of peace come to assist violence in combating unrestrained evil?
The rescue of Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland is a story of unimaginable courage and faith. As told by those who lived through the Nazi terror, this evocative documentary recounts what it was like for Dutch Jews to face systematic isolation, persecution and elimination. Our subjects were mere children at the time. Children who witnessed their family and friends being arrested and dragged away — and, for most, never to be seen again. Children for whom unbearable pain and loss was cruelly compressed into a single experience of overwhelming terror.
This is a survey course designed to further stimulate your curiosity by providing glimpses of some of the pivotal events in the spread Christianity and sketches of great Christian figures who have significantly affected Christian history thereby shaping the history of the world. Kit includes six half-hour programs and PDFs of the leader's guide, program scripts, and student workbook.
This documentary explores Newton’s life from his turbulent youth to his involvement in the 18th century African slave trade, his dramatic conversion aboard a sinking ship and on through his remarkable ministry as an evangelistic preacher, hymn writer and abolitionist.