Religions of Man; The Relevance of the Religions of Man

KETC-TV (Television station : Saint Louis, Mo.) · 1955

With the recent rebirth of interest in religion and its effect on the life people live, Religions of Man is a timely and informative series. The programs give a clear insight into the great living religious of our world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Dr. Huston Smith discusses their origin, founders and what each teaches as to lifes meaning and the way to its fulfillment. In this first program Dr. Smith presents background and introductory material for the series as a whole. In this first episode Dr. Smith presents background and introductory material for the series as a whole. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) Surveys some of the religions of the world-Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Christianity-through typical works of art from each. Stresses that we should be interested primarily in the "force" behind this religious art and how this "force" will help us to understand the people of the world. (Description from NET Film Service Catalog 1960) The first college accredited course given on TV in St. Louis, this series features Dr. Huston Smith, associate professor of philosophy at Washington University. A survey of the great living religions of the world and how they influenced human history, the course covers Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity (Protestant and Catholic) and Islam. Lectures traces the start of these religions, their founders and what each teaches as lifes meaning and the way to its fulfillment. Born in China of missionary parents, Dr. Huston Smith has had first-hand acquaintance with the religions of both East and West. Dr. Smiths graduate studies were completed at the University of California and the University of Chicago, where he received his PhD in 1945. He is president of the Missouri Philosophy Association and is the author of The Purpose of Higher Education, published in 1955 by Harper and Brothers. Dr. Smith taught at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado before joining the Washington University faculty. His course on The Religions of Man grew from 13 to 140 students in the first seven years he taught it. The 17 episodes that comprise this series were originally recorded on kinescope. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)