List Price: $24.99You Pay Only: $18.99 You Save: $6.00 (24%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0841887050203
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: PBS Paramount
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: PBS Paramount
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 08, 2005
Running Time: 225 minutes
Sales Rank: 24750
Studio: PBS Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: September 15, 2004
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Based on a popular Harvard course taught by Dr. Armand Nicholi, author of The Question of God, the series illustrates the lives and insights of Sigmund Freud, a life-long critic of religious belief, and C.S. Lewis, a celebrated Oxford don, literary critic, and perhaps this century's most influential and popular proponent of faith based on reason.
Amazon.com:
The Question of God: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis makes an exhaustive yet stimulating case that Freud, father of psychoanalysis, and Lewis, author and Oxford scholar, are exemplary representatives of their respective secular and spiritual belief systems. This two-part PBS program grew out of a quarter-century-old Harvard course taught by Armand M. Nicholi, in which the backgrounds of Freud and Lewis (born a generation apart) are compared and contrasted for formative experiences that drove one man toward a science-based atheism (Freud's conclusion that belief in God stems from childhood fear and helplessness) and the other away from atheism toward Christianity (Lewis's assertion that one can reject religion and find a personal path toward God). Through dramatized scenes featuring actors playing Lewis and Freud, the show simulates a kind of give-and-take between these deeply influential men. Somewhat less interesting are interspersed excerpts from a roundtable discussion, moderated by Nicholi, among various people (writers, filmmakers, etc.) who talk about their own experiences of faith. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Nicholi hides personal bias: he co-founded a Christian lobbyist group
In both the book and DVD version, Nicholi presents himself as neutral on the question of the existence or nonexistence of God. In fact, Nicholi is a founding board member of powerful conservative Christian lobbyist group the Family Research Council, which actively attempts to outlaw homosexual and abortion rights while advocating abstinence-only sex education and the theory of Intelligent Design. While I assume Nicholi has the best intentions, his strong bias comes through in every aspect of the work, and in the end this feels like an unfairly hidden conflict of interest.
By pitting unhappy and mean-spirited Freud against joyous Lewis, Nicholi seems to imply that all Christians are happy and all atheists are grumpy. Obviously, it would be just as easy to focus on a happy atheist and grumpy Christian, so this argument is groundless. However, because the argument is forwarded consistently yet implicitly, it is difficult to easily identify and refute. Just listen to the typically disjointed and melancholic music used in the Freud scenes compared to the happy or profound music selected for Lewis.
Nicholi frames the God question as: "We make one of two basic assumptions: we view the universe as an accident, or we assume an intelligence beyond the universe who gives the universe order, and for some of us, meaning to life." This framing of the question is unambiguously borrowed from the Intelligent Design movement Nicholi is part of, and rests on an implicit assumption not ... Read More
Rating:  - Nice Quality, But . . .
The PBS home video, The Question of God based off of Dr. Nicholi's book compares the lives of Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. While the book was exceptional, the DVD is mediocre. The DVD features a comparison of the lives of these two greats with a narration and actors depicting Lewis and Freud. The quality is excellent, but, it lacks the depth of the book.
The other part of the DVD is the round table discussion, and here it utterly fails. There is really one person, Michael Shermer, who is impressive in answering the questions offered by Nicholi. On the religious side, most of the "religious people" (from Buddhism to Christianity) fail to really answers agnostic and atheists objections beside "it is faith" or "many types of evidence." While there may some truth to this, they fail in their presentation and in providing larger, stronger arguments. One wonders if anyone on the panel really ever read Lewis at all? The other "non-believers" raised the typical straw men objections and other silly statements (the attorney is absolutely, horrible, I hope he doesn't use his own criteria when evaluating a case). Shermer, while I think he is often wrong, does a very good job (as always, Shermer is always likable and presents his points well). There are good answers to his statements, but no one on this panel presented any.
I am surprised by the many five stars. Maybe I am missing something, but I really think this is average, no better, no worse.
Rating:  - Excellent Unbiased Dabate of a Serious Question
Whether theist or atheist most people gravitate toward resources that offer evidence for their preconceived opinions. This series doesn't do that. At times the persuasion of C. S. Lewis is so strong that the DVD feels like the sort of evangelical piece that should be shown in churches. At these moments one wonders if it would be banned in our public school system. At other times the logic of Sigmund Freud pulls just as strongly towards atheism. At these moments one wonders if the entire series would be banned from many churches. To add further dimension to the discussion Dr. Armand Nicholi created a panel of seven intelligent persons to wrestle with the question of God. Three of these are theists and three are atheists. Dr. Nicholi fills the seventh chair as a moderator. He takes great pains to be unbiased while making sure the discussion stays on track. After viewing this series one may have all sorts of ideas, but one will not be able to honestly label either side as "backward" or "less intelligent".
As a college philosophy instructor I particularly like the format of the discussion. While not using philosophical jargon the series starts with a section on Epistemology (theories of knowledge) by pitting the scientific world view against the spiritual world view. From here the series naturally leans toward Metaphysics (the big picture questions, God, cosmos, ontology, etc.). The series next follows a logical progression into Ethics with discussions on morality. Finally ... Read More
Rating: - Perceptive Conversation
I found this DVD to be very enlightening and entertaining. It records a study, or 'conversation', between some believers (though not necessarily Christians) and some skeptics, concerning God and his operations/origins. Two men are used as a short of skeleton or rubric for this study: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. It is interesting to see the questions Freud (who predates Lewis by approximately 60 years) asks, and the answers Lewis gives, and the questions Lewis asks, and the answers (though not in the same chronological fashion of course) Freud gives.
Each man is obviously very intelligent, and is considered in his certain field of study an expert, if not a revolutionary - certainly in the case with Freud, many would quite reasonably say he is the 'father' or psycho-analysis. Lewis would, of course, deny any such acclamation and say he is an unread layman.
All the deep, important, and controversial questions are asked. This is an unrestrained coversation, between people who believe in God, and people who are skeptical. Nothing is left in the dark. Questions about pain, existence, morality, love, good and evil, are all hashed out.
There are of course no mathematical answers reached (for if there were, we would all either be on one side of the fence or the other), but some very perceptive points are made and some insightful questions are asked. Make no mistake, the people in this video are learned individuals: one a Harvard Graduate Doctor, one Editor of 'Skeptic' Magazine, ... Read More
Rating: - Compelling
I considered myself an agnostic for years. In presented two points of view from two of the most intelligent men of the 20 century, this book guides you through much self-examination. In reading and considering each perspective argument, I found myself landing consistently on one side of the fence. With the help of the author, I've now throughly examined my own perspective on this very important question and have come to my own unequivocal conclusion. I no longer waver, and feel completely comfortable with my belief system. I believe it will help you do the same.
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