www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West BBC Program on History of Orthodox Christianity

This is an hour long program from a BBC series on the history of Christianity. This episode is entitled 'Orthodoxy: From Empire to Empire." It is worth watching and passing along. Much better than the usual History Channel drivel.

I've only gotten to minute 9:00 and need to get to bed... but he's just talked in glowing terms about Hagia Sophia from inside her... and now moved on to Byzantine art, without any mention that she is no longer the great church of Orthodoxy, indeed no longer allowed to be a church at all. I'm kind of sitting here with a dropped jaw. Is this some kind of PC let's not talk this great tragic loss?

I found the scenes of Eucharist in the Greek Orthodox church interesting. I didn't know there was the giving of Eucharist where people clamp their lips onto the spoon, and the priest kind of pulls it out from between their lips and then the spoon goes right into the next communicant's mouth. I'm used to the tossing into the mouth version.

That is not the norm among all Orthodox although the traditionalists would argue that it should be. The 'tossing' version , or a variant of that, can be found in many parishes in the States.

This episode was interesting I noticed some inaccuracies. The Second episode of the Church was ridiculous. It's like the writers consulted wikipedia ONCE and decided not to spotcheck what they had written.

The first episdoe was notable for featuring the Assyrian Church and the Oriental Churches but again uses gross exaggerations.

Interesting, in the first part after 42:30 it shows an Assyrian congregation in Iraq, but the church has Byzantine iconography, including an icon of Christ to the right of the altar and of the Theotokos to the left. I always thought Assyrians don't have icons, maybe the church belongs to another Christian denomination or it is actually a Chaldean congregation.

I watched this program last night with a group of Roman Catholic faithful and two Latin Catholic priests. The parish is going through this series as part of a Lenten video and discussion program, and I was invited this week as an Orthodox resource.

I am still somewhat in shock that such a horrible work would be produced by the BBC, and crestfallen that for many this documentary will be their introduction to, and perhaps only explanation of, Orthodox Christianity. I am not yet sure whether I will end up feeling glad that I was there to provide an additional perspective, or sickened by knowledge of the existence of such a slick production put out by an organization as respected as the BBC.

Bless, Father Paul,

Is this part of that ongoing series on the history of Christianity that BBC has been airing?

Edit: I see that is, I didn't notice the preceding posts. I saw a couple episodes and found them very uneven in quality. Haven't seen this one as yet.

Many years,

Neil

It is sad some programming background staff do not perform enough research to attempt their documentaries or movies stay as accurate as possible....I am very surprised as I have found the BBC to be very diligent in their reporting and precise with their research on articles I have read...

But, things happen......

I recall a HBO movie "Rasputin" At the section they celebrate the 300th anniversary of the monarchy in church the litany portion really made me chuckle......for those who do not understand church slavonic music or sing it or know the history behind things, no one would notice, however, while they were intoning the litany, at one section the recorded (of course) deacons voice intoned the prayer for Patriarch Alexi, which, of course, at the time period being the subject of the film, no such office existed and there was no Patriarchate since Peter the Great's time. The only positive note was the recording was of high quality and the choir brilliant. Someone however should have checked to see that this modern recording conformed to the historical period they were filming.

But again, it happens.

Hi,

We have actually had posts and threads about this here and there.
Both Russian and Greek Orthodox receive Holy Communion as if we are being fed, which means closing your mouth on the spoon.
If I recall from these threads, Byzantine Catholics do not because their priests do not find it sanitary?

We are told not to think of these things, as nothing can happen from the most Holy Body and Blood of our Saviour. If that were the case, then what should the priests think, when they consume the remaining Holy Communion *after* all the parishioners have received.

Also, by closing one's mouth, I think that there is less chance of a mishap?

Anyway, that is how we do it..just like your baby closes his or her mouth on the spoon when you are feeding it.

Best regards,
Alice

JEK, that kind of thing happens all the time in movies and television.

Some quick (Latin) examples off the top of my head:

In Bresson's Lancelot du Lac, the priest uses altar cards (a renisance innovation) despite the medieval setting.

In Doubt Philip Seymour Hoffmann's priest character wears his stole over his chasuble, an unlikely choice in the Bronx in 1964. He's also seen reading from the Catholic Book Publishing edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, which wouldn't be published until 1975.

A mixed example: Bizarely, the wedding processional music in My Best Friend's Wedding is from Rachmaninoff's "Vespers."

Understood JBenedict and I am sure the list is long, but, it is most distressing when a documentary/film is being produced about a particular church and what that church is about, etc. One would think in these cases the producers would try to get things as accurate or, have those on hand (i.e. religious historians and/or colaboration guides) to assist the script and filming.