The Nativity Decoded
A recent survey found that only 12 per cent of adults could answer four simple questions about the Christmas Story, while a quarter of Church of England clergy have admitted that they don’t believe in the virgin birth. Many believers, including theologian Robert Beckford, find the Nativity perplexing. Who were Mary and Joseph; how was Jesus born to a virgin; why was he in a manger; and what role did the shepherds and 'wise men' play?
Now Beckford embarks on a quest to uncover the real meaning of the Christmas story. He wants to find historical evidence for the story and understand the true significance of key elements that we all know, but few really grasp. His journey takes him to Israel, Egypt, Ethiopia and Brazil to retrace the lives of the key figures in the Christmas story and understand how it would have been received by its earliest audiences.
In the film Beckford reveals a Christmas story very far from that told in cosy carols – one that is set against a political background of conflict and distress, and which demands attention for the poor and dispossessed.
Contacts
Press Contact
Matthew Robinson
mr.pr@virgin.net
Picture Publicist
Jamie Fry
jfry@channel4.co.uk
Production Company
Carbon
Commissioning Editor
Aaqil Ahmed
Matthew Robinson
mr.pr@virgin.net
Picture Publicist
Jamie Fry
jfry@channel4.co.uk
Production Company
Carbon
Commissioning Editor
Aaqil Ahmed