Macky Alston reviews the film From Jesus to Christ: The First Christian

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christian

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians challenges with new and controversial historical evidence familiar assumptions about the life of Christ and the rise of Christianity. The four-part documentary series energizes New Testament stories and is a “must see” for those who minister to individuals of the Christian faith, because the film provides to all viewers many layers of understanding of this major religion.

This series starts right off with the assertion by New Testament theologians, archaeologists and historians that Jesus grew up in a cosmopolitan rather than rural setting and was not of the peasant class. Experts in early Christian history serve as both critics and storytellers in this film, and they focus their sights mainly on Jesus’ first followers, the men and women whose beliefs, convictions, and martyrdom created a major movement that transformed the Roman Empire in the space of only three hundred years. The camera visits the sites where early Christianity took root and the filmmakers use findings from archeological digs and models of ancient cities to bring a keen sense of place to the narrative.

The scholarship of the numerous biblical experts who provide commentary is striking. They weave together from their different perspectives a dynamic vision of cultural, political and religious life in the Roman Empire and reinterpret much of the story of Christ and his followers in concrete and intriguing ways.

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians is not a story of a golden age of consensus, but a story of people in conflict – wrestling with Judaism, confronting the authority of the Empire, and struggling among themselves to understand Jesus’ message about the coming of G-d.

Completed: 1998
Running Time: 240 Minutes

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christian was produced in association with WHBH/Boston and aired nationally on PBS Frontline

Producer/Writer: Marilyn Mellowes
Senior Producer/Director: William Cran
Narration: William Cran and Marilyn Mellowes

If you are interested in purchasing this film, you can do so at the Hartley Film Foundation’s web site, www.hartleyfoundation.org. Just click on “Masterworks” on the homepage for more information.  The cost is $59.98 for a 4-volume VHS set and $24.99 for a DVD copy of the film.

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