Product 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44425 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2005-03-08
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 225 minutes

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

Beautiful, sad... yet most importantly: thought-provoking
This PBS presentation beautifully lays out contrasting views (theism/atheism)... yet somehow never comes off as advocating either one; letting the viewer decide. As much as I love Freud and also warm up to such deep-thinkers as C.S. Lewis... it was the periodic "roundtable" discussion sessions moderated by Dr. Armand Nicholi that blew me away. I found myself pausing this DVD over and over again as I wrote down my own thoughts and, yes, my own spontaneous revelations. It's that sort of program. It makes you want to grab a notebook and a pencil.

I won't tell you which way I lean (Freud? Lewis?)... but I will say BUY THIS! SEE IT! It is quite possibly one of the only sources giving equal time to both sides of this age-old issue. If nothing else, you'll be fascinated at the eruption of thoughts/realizations that you-the viewer will most-certainly experience.

Seriously considering buying this...
I watched this on PBS the past two weeks. It's 4 hours total, and shows the personal history of these two men (complete with some well done reenactment) and how they came to their beliefs interspersed with a panel of people with different beliefs (believers and nonbelievers) talking about a lot of the basic issues with religion and Christianity. The panel includes a Dr. from Harvard, the editor of Skeptic magazine, and some other really interesting people.

As is to be expected (hey, it's PBS :) The Question of God is very well done. Extremely fascinating, and it makes you think. I was so impressed by it that I'm seriously considering buying it. I'm also going to read C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity.

A balanced presentation that either side will enjoy.
I expected this video to lean noticeably to either a pro evolution or pro theistic viewpoint. The editors have done an excellent job at presenting both sides fairly. It was very helpful to see the story of Freud and Lewis' childhood and early adulthood. This is an important video for anyone interested in the current debate.

I was especially pleased with the roundtable discussions of a focus group. It is a delight to see unscripted opinions being expressed in a non confrontative format. The panel is also well balanced, with no shills on either side. This has become my favorite Nova presentation and I highly recommend it to just about anyone interested in a well rounded education.