Summary: This program discusses the significance of rituals, and the necessity for defined sacred space both traditional and nontraditional. Rituals discussed include the Eucharist, or Communion, meditation, and others. The practice of placing the mezuzah at the door of a Jewish home is presented within the context of the home as a sacred space; Buddhist meditation ceremonies are relegated to specific...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: Prehistoric art often renders animals in spiritual, even divine, form-but primitive beast images can also reflect a degree of humanity. This program sifts through the complexity of the animal-god concept, identifying the place of the lion, the giraffe, the wolf, the elephant, and many other creatures in a wide range of myths and religions. With detailed observations of sculpture, carvings, and...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: This program discusses the mixture of faiths that abound in Indianapolis, and the importance of sacred space to each denomination. Martin E. Marty, of the University of Chicago Divinity School, defines sacred space as a place where individuals experience a sense of the spiritual events relevant to their faith. Visiting several places of worship about the city, we learn how size, decoration (or...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: The Earth's surface gave shape to the early cosmologies of almost every culture. This program explores that universal phenomenon, traveling across the globe to examine the role of geology in religion and myth. From the revered Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia to Crete's Diktaeon cave-according to tradition, the birthplace of Zeus-the video explains the spiritual significance of numerous sites...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006

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Summary: Religion in Bali is marked by rituals of high artistry aimed at harmonizing the forces of darkness and light, as this program shows. Ancestor worship, karma, and other key concepts are illustrated through lavish, rare, high-definition footage of a cremation ceremony-considered a joyous prelude to reincarnation-a birth ceremony, a puberty rite, and a wedding. A priest explains the interplay...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011

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Summary: This program examines the ancient significance of sacred journeys, or pilgrimages, and why individuals undertake them. Pilgrimages are encouraged and even required by many religions. All able Muslims must go to Mecca at least once during their lifetime. Both Jews and Christians are drawn to Jerusalem. Catholics visit Rome and shrines where miracles have taken place. Mormons journey to Salt Lake...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: Funerals are the most common death rituals in the world, but there are other ceremonies that involve the dead, often with very different purposes. For the Aghori mystics of India, the corpse isn't something to be avoided, but rather embraced. This program examines the ways in which cultures both foreign and familiar confront the ultimate taboo. From the practice of exhuming the bones of...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010

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Summary: This program examines and analyzes the significance of the religious documents of five major religions-the Christian Bible, the Hebrew Torah, the Islamic Koran, the Hindu Vedas, and the Buddhist sutras. Martin E. Marty and Sayyid M. Syeed discuss the similarities among the texts-how the documents keep traditions alive, connect the past to the present, and preserve their religion for future...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: From birth to death, in every country on the globe, for tens of thousands of years, the rhythm of human life has been accentuated by the practice of religious ritual. In this program adherents of three different faiths share their understanding of some common rites of passage: a rabbi explains the elements of a Jewish wedding, including some that date back to the book of Genesis; a minister...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005

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Summary: Whether for pardon, healing, inspiration, or enlightenment, a pilgrimage can be a journey through the kingdom of spirit. In this program, Paul Coelho, author of The Pilgrimage; His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the director of the Tiberias Center for Kabbalah and Healing; and others reflect on the history and significance of major pilgrimage destinations, including Santiago de Compostela, Mecca,...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006

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Summary: In this program, Martin E. Marty, of the University of Chicago Divinity School, examines the difference between secular and spiritual concepts of time. Retreats are described as bodies of concentrated time reserved for spiritual reflection, as distinct from smaller time frames set aside for religious activities, such as meal blessings and morning and evening prayers. The Muslim tradition of...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: The elaborate rituals and timeless pageantry of Bali make the island unforgettable for visitors, yet few really understand what lies behind the dances, the costumes, and the ceremonies. With gorgeous, high-definition footage this program delves into the spiritual beliefs at the heart of Balinese traditions. Viewers observe the powerful Barong dance, in which participants fall into a trance and...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011

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Summary: Sacred memory forms the infrastructure of most faiths. This program examines these memories in several major religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. The path of religious memory is traced to special holy days such as Ramadan in the Muslim religion, and Christmas and Easter for Christians. The celebration of the birth and teachings of Buddha and those of important gods...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007

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Summary: When his American doctor suggested shoulder replacement surgery, veteran reporter T. R. Reid decided to investigate other options. This program documents his three-week stay at a clinic in southern India dedicated to the ancient practice of Ayurveda, a form of Hindu medicine. Reid's treatment involves astrology, entreaties to the Hindu god of healing, and a seemingly bizarre regimen of...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009

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Summary: Water may be the world's hardest-working religious symbol, representing life, death, purification, destruction, and countless other ideas. This program studies the spiritual properties of water and the myriad ways in which humanity has regarded the precious substance over the millennia. Establishing a link between climate and the evolution of god-images, the video explores the notion of the...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006

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Beck, Renee

Contents: Understanding the role of ritual in your life -- Myth, history, and symbol -- Types of rituals -- The process of ritual -- The elements of ritual -- Crafting and consecrating tools -- Altars -- Ritual guidelines and worksheet -- Applications of rituals -- The rite of spring.

Format: text

Publisher / Publication Date: Celestial Arts 1990

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Summary: It is the basis of many a myth, folk tale, and adventure story-the act of confronting a nearly insurmountable obstacle, either physical or mental, in order to enter the realm of adulthood and self-knowledge. Some rites of initiation may seem bizarre or extreme to Westerners, but within the societies that uphold those traditions they are worth every ounce of pain and endurance required. This...

Format: software, multimedia

Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010

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