Paul: Contending for the Faith
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Fifth in the 10-part "Footprints of God" series, the video profiles the life of Saul of Tarsus, who would become St. Paul the Apostle, chronicling his transformation from hostile persecutor of the church to one of its greatest defenders. Shot entirely on location in Israel, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Italy, the program surveys his early years as a tentmaker and rabbinical student leading up to his radical conversion to Christianity. A large part of its 90-minute running time is dedicated to Paul's far-ranging missionary travels throughout the Mediterranean, as well as to the 13 letters -- or epistles -- written to various early Christian communities. The film clearly establishes Paul as a "Hebrew of Hebrews," emphasizing his Jewish roots, while also exploring the Greek and Roman influences that informed his later theology. Hosted in a lively and accessible manner by Catholic author Stephen Ray, the program brings Scripture to life, offering viewers the opportunity to walk the same dusty roads as Paul and visit the very places where he lived, preached and ultimately died as a martyr in 67. The educational and engaging production captures Paul's passion and gives viewers a surer understanding of who he was and the crucial role he played in the development of the Catholic faith. (Ignatius Press, (800) 651-1531) 2004
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.