Video clips for Online Viewing

The following video clips are available for online viewing to supplement your text reading and classroom lectures (some of these are actually shown in the classroom so if you are absent or are a distance learner, you can view them for yourself, at your own leisure). Some clips are less than one minute in length, others run for as long as 10 - 20 minutes. Most run between 3 - 10 minutes.

Unless otherwise noted, videos use Real Player or Windows Media Player. Many are found on the Religion & Ethics Newsweekly website (you can read transcripts of these and many other interesting stories at this site).

RP=RealPlayer, QT=Quick Time, WMP=Windows Media Player. If you need any of these players, click links noted for free download. MAC users click here to download Windows Media Player for MAC

If the links below do not work on your computer try going directly to this page on the Religion & Ethics site and click on their link to "watch this story." Once your computer opens the RealPlayer through this link, the other links provided below should work (I don't understand why these links work on some computers and not others, but I discovered that this process made it work).

Videos will open in a new window. Most will automatically load and play once you click on the link. In some cases, you will go to a page and have to click a video format of your choice. 

Jump to a topic:
| Religions | Religions in America | Religious People | Religion & Politics | Religion & Science | Sacred Spaces & Places | Sacred Arts | Religious Beliefs | Worship | Religious Practice | Religious Rituals | Religious Holidays | Moral Issues | Miscellaneous | Audio | Mini-Lectures |

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Religions:

Origins Profiles Introductions
Divisions

Hinduism in Modern India

 

The Essentials of Buddhism
(wmp)

Ask a Buddhist
(series of short video clips of Buddhists answering commonly asked questions)

Islam: what is it? where is it?

Sunni-Shi'ite Conflict

Ahmadiyya Muslims

Sufism

Jewish Origins of Christianity

The Roots and Development of Christianity

Divisions of Christianity

Catholic - Orthodox Relations


The Protestant Reformation

The Mormons

Are Mormons Christian?
(a debate)

Origins of the Book of Mormon 
(the back-story)

Seventh Day Adventists

Christian Scientists

 

Hasidic Judaism

Conservative Judaism Today

African Traditional Religions

Cao Dai

Sikhism (introduction)

Sikhism 
(alternative link)
(this 1 1/2 hour video discusses the 500 year history of this religion. The first 20 minutes give a basic overview of the faith)

Who are the Sikhs?

Modern Jains in India

Voodoo in Haiti

Voodoo in New Orleans

What They Believe: Hindus, Zoroastrians. Bahais
(from CBS News)

Zoroastrians

Zoroastrianism

Paganism
(wmp)

Huston Smith discusses Confucianism

Confucianism & Taoism
(brief overview)

Shinto, Confucianism & Taoism

Shinto
(an overview)

New Age Spirituality
(in Sedona AZ)

Religions in America

Hinduism in America (pt 1)

Hindu Americans: the Next Generation

A Hindu Temple in America
(Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Lanham MD)

A Hare Krishna Temple in Utah

Buddhism in America (the east-west divide)

Why Americans Turn to Buddhism

Shariah in America - a Debate

Sunni-Shi'ite Harmony in the USA

Muslims in America: a question of  tolerance

American Muslim Women move for reform

American Muslims Mostly Mainstream (findings of Pew Research survey) (RP)

Muslim Americans Combat Extremism

Muslims in the US Military

Muslim assimilation into Western culture
(in Holland)

Muslims in the UK (moderate vs. extremist)

Muslims in Germany

America's Religious Diversity: Protestantism in America
full report:
American Protestants

America's Religious Diversity: Catholicism in America

The Eastern Orthodox Church in America
(wmp)

Afri-centric Christianity

Interracial Churches

Overcoming Racism in the SBC

Hispanic Catholics in the USA

Pentecostals - 100 years

The Episcopal Church: a growing divide
(pt 1)

Growing Divide in the Anglican Church (pt 2)

The Methodists

The Jesuits

American Catholics in Tension with Church Teachings

The Amish Today
(wmp)

The Shakers

Mega-churches

America's Evangelicals:
What is an Evangelical?
(introduction)
Part I
:
Evangelicals and Identity
Part II:
Evangelicals and Politics
Part III:
Evangelicals and Culture
Part IV:
Evangelicals and Evangelism

Celebrating 350 years of Jewish presence in America

Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia)

America's Religious Diversity: a discussion with Diana Eck
full report:
America's Religious Diversity

America's Religious Diversity: Spirituality 

Religious Diversity (in MN)

The need for teaching about religion in schools

Tolerance for Other Religions: A commentary

Students Explore Religion on Campus
(wmp)

Non-Religious in America

Sikhs as Soldiers in the US Military

Religious issues and the Supreme Court  (2003-04)

Separation of Church and State in America

The 1st Amendment & the Founding Fathers

Separation of Church and State?

God in American Culture


Is it Constitutional?
(case studies)

School Prayer: A Debate
(min 2:00-34:07)

Prayers Before Legislative Meetings

Church Worship Services in Public Schools
(endorsement?)

Christian Student Group on Campus

The Cross in the Desert
(endorsement?)

State financial aid for theology study in college
(religious freedom)

The Pledge of Allegiance

"Under God" in the Pledge
(endorsement?)

The 10 Commandments monuments
(endorsement)

Faith Based Initiatives

Prison Ministry

Prisoner's Religious Rights

Prison Beards
(religious freedom)

Military Chaplains (audio piece from NPR)

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Religious People Mahatma Gandhi

B.K.S. Iyengar (Yoga guru)

Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh

An American convert to Zen

Who is the Dalai Lama?
(wmp)

Interview with the Dalai Lama

The Karmapa Lama

Muhammad

American Converts to Islam

Diversity within Islam 
(wmp)

Moderate Muslims Speak Out

The Rights of Muslim Women

The Jewish Jesus

Jesus: crucifixion and birth
(broken)

St. Paul

A Discussion with a Christian Pacifist (Miroslav Volf)

The life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christian Pacifist

"God-struck" - a life changed (Joe Eszterhas)

A Writer's Faith (Ron Hansen)

A Nun's Life (becoming a nun)

Called to be a Nun

The Sisters of St. Mary's
(life in a convent)

Mother Teresa

Thomas Merton (20th cent. monk)

To be a Monk
(Brother Paul)

Pope John Paul II: his Life and Legacy

Electing a New Pope

Richard Rohr
the provocative priest

Deacons in the Catholic Church

Convert to Catholicism (Mary Karr)

Another Conversion Story

Rick Warren (popular pastor)

The Faith of a Unitarian Universalist Minister (Forrest Church)

Profile of a Pastor
(Eugene Peterson)

To be a Protestant Minister

Women in the Ministry

Interfaith Marriage

Converting to Judaism

Jewish Convert

Abraham Heschel 
(rabbi, theologian, social activist and mystic)

Shlomo Carlebach (an "unorthodox" Orthodox Rabbi)

Hasidic Women

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
(Chabad Lubavitch Rebbe)

Confucius

Women in the Ministry
(wmp)

Native American Spiritual Renewal

Atheists

The Interfaith Youth Core (highlighting cooperation among young people of diverse faiths)

Interfaith Marriage: Raising the kids

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Sacred Texts     The Quran

Study and Interpretation of Qur'an

see also: audio

The King James Version of the Bible

How We Got the Bible

see also: audio

Writing a Torah

Restoring a Torah Scroll

 
Religion  & Politics   Tibetan Buddhists Struggle with China

Buddhist Monks March in Myanmar 
(in protest of a military government - Sept. 2007) Follow-up Report 
(Nov. 2007)

Islam faces Modernity

Muslim- Christian Divide along the 10th Parallel

Young Evangelicals & Politics (2008)

The Evangelical Vote (2012)

Vatican Foreign Affairs

The Palestinian Plight

American Jews and Israel

Religion and the Democratic National Convention (2012)

Religion and the Republican National Convention (2012)

Religion & the Presidential Election (2012)

Religion & Politics: Where to draw the line?

The Secularism Debate in France


outdated but of historical interest for comparison:

Religion & the Presidential Primaries (2008) 

Faith at the Democratic National Convention (2008)

Religion at the Republican National Convention (2008)

Religion at the Inauguration (2009)

Democrats & Religion (2004)

Democratic National Convention (2004)

Religion in the second Term (GWBush)

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Religion & Science

Explore more at Closer to Truth

Ayurveda (natural healing)    

A Religious Scientist

Religious response to Evolution

Ken Ham: Biblical Literalist argues against evolution

A scientific study of speaking in tongues

Faith & Health (The Seventh Day Adventists)

Thoughts on Religion & Science from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Prolonging Life

The ethics of Cloning: therapeutic Cloning

Stem Cell Research: progress & concerns

Religion & Health

Spirituality and the Brain

The Science of Spiritual Experience

Implications of Neurotheology

Teaching Evolution: 
the debate goes on

...and on

Sacred Spaces & Places

The Hindu Temple
(wmp)

A Buddhist Temple
(wmp)

The Islamic Mosque
(wmp)

Historic Mosques of Istanbul

Lourdes
(France)

Pilgrimage to Chartres

Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica

Jordan River Baptism Site

A Lutheran Church
(wmp)

Slovac churches in the West
(wmp)

The Jewish Synagogue
(wmp)

Jerusalem: Sacred City (for three faiths)

Sacred Space (Ground Zero)

Sacred Space (New Mexico)

A Shinto Shrine (visit)

Shinto Shrine Explained

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Religion & the Arts Darsan: seeing the divine in India 
RP QT WMP

Spiritual Chanting

Creation of a sand mandala

The meaning of the Mandala

Images of the Buddha's Disciples

Islamic Art

More on Islamic Art

Visual Arts:
Icons in the Orthodox Church

The art of making Icons

Picturing Mary

Devotional Diptychs

Illuminated Bible

The Art of Stained Glass

Holy Relics

The Art of the Sistine Chapel

A Cantor discusses his role in the synagogue

Hanukkah Lamps

Spirituality of Native American art

Sacred Arts in Santa Fe

Dave Brubeck: Composer of Religious Music

Music:
Orthodox Chanting

Church Music

The Study of Sacred Music
(at Yale)

The Singing Priest

Faith of a Flutist (James Galway)

The Music of Easter

Dealing with Death through Music

Music in the Black Church

Gospel Writers
(Bill and Gloria Gaither)

African-American Spirituals

Religious Beliefs Reincarnation
(wmp)

Hinduism on the banks of the Ganges
(wmp)

Hindu view of God


Vishnu

The meaning of Buddhism at Bodh Gaya
(wmp)

Dukkha
(explaining the first Noble Truth)

Explaining Karma

Anicca
(discussing impermanence)

Zen Buddhism

God & the Prophet
(wmp)

Prophets & Prophecies

The Crucifixion

The Resurrection

Jesus as the Son of God

Mary Magdalene
(a new perspective)

Protestants reconsider Mary

Saints

The Path to Sainthood

Heaven & Hell

Debating Calvinism

God & Man
(a Jewish Understanding)

Sin, Repentance & Forgiveness in Judaism

The concept of god

Where is God in the Tragedy?

Taoist Beliefs

Heaven & the purpose of life
(wmp)

Images of Heaven
(wmp)

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Worship

Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion

Do it yourself puja

Hindu worship (Ganesha Chathurti: birthday of Ganesha)

Hindu worship (Janmashtami: Birthday of Krishna)

  Jumah Prayer

Prayer in Islam
(a one hour video)

    Exploring Religious America: Spirituality
Religious Practice Worship of Kali (Washington Kali Temple in Burtonsville, Maryland)

Yoga

More on Yoga

Spiritual practices & the Vedas

Being Vegetarian

(Arranged Marriage Today)

Meditation

More Meditation

Spiritual Foundations of Martial Arts

Zakat

Muslim Charity: Post 9/11 challenges

Sighting the Ramadan moon

The Ramadan Fast

The Ramadan Fast II

Young Muslim Americans talk about Ramadan

Hajj (pt. 1)

Hajj (pt. 2)

Hajj (pt. 3)

The meaning of the Hajj

Islamic Financing
(2009)

Islamic Finances (2002) 
(how to by a house without paying interest)

Roadside Memorials

Fasting in the Orthodox Church

Walking the Way of the Cross

Mormon Missionaries
(2001)

Mormon Missionaries
(2013)

Charity: Helping Those in Need

Faith Based Relief Effort (Hurricane Katrina)

Monastic Life

Contemplation

Pilgrimage


Shabbat: Observance & Significance

Talmud Study among Orthodox Jews

What's Kosher

Modern Jewish Spirituality

The Meaning of the Prayer Shawl

The Mezuzah

Tikkun Olam in New Orleans

Sikh Turban Tying

Native American respect for Mother Earth

Prayer in all cultures

Spiritual Chanting

Prayer as Thanksgiving
(an audio reflection)

Chinese Reverence for Ancestors

Feng Shui

Pilgrimage

Baha'i Fasting

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Religious Rituals Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony)

Hindu-Sikh Wedding

Death & Memorial

Becoming a novice monk (initiation)

Hajj Rituals
(pilgrimage to Mecca)


Wudu
(washing before prayer)

Baptism

Praying the Rosary

Walking the Stations of the Cross

May Crowning of Mary

First Communion

The Mikvah

Jewish Burial Practices

Orthodox Jewish hair cutting ceremony

A "Green" Bar Mizvah


Religious Rituals 
(an overview)

Brief clips of Shinto ritual (QT)

Religious Holidays Diwali

Diwali Celebration in Modern India

A Hindu Family Celebrates Diwali

Navarati: Offerings to the Divine Mother

University Students Celebrate Holi

Kumbh Mela Festival

Obon Festival
(honoring the ancestors)

Tibetan New Year

Celebrating Losar
(Tibetan Buddhist New Year Rituals)

Celebrating Eid-al-Fitr

Eid-al-Adha Observance

A brief history of Christmas 
(from the History Channel)

Origins of Christmas traditions

The Real St. Nick

Orthodox Epiphany

Ash Wednesday

Fasting for Lent in the Orthodox Church

Holy Week

The Events of Holy Week

The meaning of Holy Week

Easter East & West

Selichot: Preparing for the High Holidays

Spirituality of the High Holy Days

High Holiday practices

The meaning of the High Holiday practices

Blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah

The Rituals of Yom Kippur

Observing Sukkot

What is a Sukkah?

Simchat Torah

The Meaning of Hanukkah

Observing Hanukkah

More on Hanukkah

Purim

The Story of Purim

Passover

Preparing for Passover

The Meaning and Symbolism of Passover

The Passover Seder: symbolism of food

A creative Seder

What is Shavuot?

More on Shavuot

(An Interfaith Family Celebrates the Holidays)

Zoroastrian New Year (Naw Ruz)

Jain Paryushana Parva

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Moral Issues   Buddhist Monks protect the Forests   Church Leaders Respond to Homosexuality

Homosexuality in African American churches

Debating homosexuality
(wmp)

Methodists Debate Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

Evangelicals 
Debate Homosexuality

Churches respond to Gay Marriage

Same-sex marriage and the Mainline Protestants

Lutherans Debate Gay Clergy

Reproductive Ethics & the Catholic Church (invitro fertilization & stem cell research)

Just War

Environmentalism as a moral issue

Polygamy: an insider's perspective

Religion and homosexuality
(an orthodox Jew struggles with the conflict between his religion and his homosexuality)
Teaching Morality

Moral Relativism

The problem with Moral Relativism
(one man's perspective)

Same sex marriage

Sex outside of marriage (fornication)
(wmp)

Altruism

Religions Debate Gun Control

Religious Concern for the Environment

Debating Physician- Assisted Suicide

Controversies & Discussion

Yoga - Is it Hindu?

Many Gods

Arranged Marriages

        Sacred Suicide? (Jainism)
Misc.

Sacred Cows in Urban India

Enlightenment

Christians & Muslims in Dialogue

Remnants of Early Christian History in Turkey

An Interfaith Seminary

A Rabbi Speaks on Jewish - Christian Relations

Religion in Today's World
(Harvey Cox)

Religious Diversity: A conversation with Diana Eck
(wmp)

Finding Common Ground: Interfaith cooperation
(from CBS News)

The Interfaith Movement

Interfaith Dialogue

Raising Interfaith Kids

Congress of the World's Religions

The Value of Interfaith Understanding
(Gustav Niebuhr)
(more from Niebuhr, below)

Facing tragedy and suffering with faith 
(Rabbi Harold Kushner reflects)

Religious Response to Suffering & Evil
(Boston Bombing)

Botanicas: Markets of The Divine

Mysticism
(wmp)

Experiencing the Sacred

Religion as a Social Institution
(minutes 3.5-10.5)
(NVCC video on demand) 

 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Audio    

A three part series discussing the Koran 
(aired on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Feb. 17, Mar. 6, and April 21 2006)

"Who changed the Bible and Why?" 
a discussion with a Biblical Scholar (aired on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Dec. 8, 2005)

The Gospel Truth: Sometimes a Little Hazy
a discussion with Bart Ehrman (aired on NPR's Fresh Air, March 4, 2009)

Randall Balmer discusses evangelicalism
(with Kojo Nnamdi, aired Jan. 1 2001 on WAMU radio)

What do Mormons Believe?
(aired Sept. 13, 2012)

  An Interfaith Answer to “Religious Totalitarianism” and Terrorism

Beyond Tolerance: A discussion about building bridges between religious faiths
(Gustav Niebuhr) (aired on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Sept. 11, 2008) (50 min)

Origins of Our Religious Traditions (the Axial Age)
a discussion with Karen Armstrong
(with Kojo Nnamdi, aired Dec. 24, 2009 on WAMU radio)


Sikhism

Audio on Guru Nanak (Sikhism) (14 min)

Audio discussing Guru Nanak and the origin of Sikhism (1/2 hour)

Guru Nanak and the Soul of Sikhism
(play first 21 minutes)
(Interfaith Voices, Aug. 4, 2011)

Audio discussing American Sikh converts and their distinctive approach to the religion (1/2 hour)

Mini Lectures Origins
Life

Yoga
         
 

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

General/Other

Huston Smith on the World's Religions

If asked to login, use your MyNova/ Blackboard login

Huston Smith on Hinduism (22.5 min. segments 1-6)

Huston Smith on Raja Yoga (12 min. continue play through to the end: segments 12-15)

Huston Smith on his Encounters with Tibetan and Zen Buddhism
(33.5 min. continue play through to the end: segments 7-15)
      Huston Smith on his Experience and Understanding of Religion in China (27 min. segments 1-7)
Feature Documen-
taries from PBS
The Story of India The Buddha Muhammad: Legacy of the Prophet

Islam: Empire of Faith

Muslims

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians

The Mormons

The Amish

The Jewish Americans

The Story of the Jews
(3000 years of history in five episodes)

God in America

First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty

A History of God
(in 7 parts)

I've Converted To EVERY Religion (Just In Case)
(a thought provoking satire)

More to come as they are made available 

Watch these and other videos at the Religion & Ethics Newsweekly site

Other audio and video resources available at Faith Library Home Theater and Films Media Group


R&E older week# = season # - 7 = year (week #801 = season starting fall 2001 [8-7=01])

Created by Laura Ellen Shulman 

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Last updated: December 22, 2017