Research Guides: Religion: Find Videos & Images

Films on Demand

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Films on Demand: World Religions [16:19]

Ever wondered what happens to you after you die? Do our actions affect what happens to us in the afterlife? This program presents comprehensive overviews of life after death from Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian perspectives. Topics include teachings about following the path to Nirvana, Paradise and Heaven, and the concepts of final judgement and Hell.

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TEDEd

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Original animated videos on various topics, paired with questions and resources, make up what TED-Ed Lessons. Click Discover=> Lessons=>Philosophy & Religion=>Religion.

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2.5 million rights-cleared images for non-commercial and educational use from Britannica.
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A small cross-section of images held by Hawaii State Archives.

Films on Demand - World Religions

Brainwave: The Origin of the Reincarnate Masters in the Buddhist Tradition
Tibetan scholar Hubert Decleer has been with the School for International Training's Tibetan and Himalayan study abroad program since 1987. He explores the history of the discovery process, the recognition and enthronement of reincarnated masters long believed to be purely "a Tibetan political innovation," and the "invention of a tradition." The Dalai Lama has mentioned a Hindu precedent in the life of Dharmakirti and a Buddhist, one exemplified by the life of Vasubandu's disciple, Sthiramati. He did not refer to the more obvious case of Candragomin, or to the first textual proof of a reincarnate master in the Sanskritic Buddhist world. (41:03)
Buddhism: The Noble Path-Let's Look at World Religions
This program offers a profile of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and an overview of teachings found in the Tripitaka, then takes viewers to the ordination of a Thai Buddhist monk. With stops at Sarnath and Bodh Gaya along the way, the video covers the Three Jewels, the Eightfold Noble Path, and differences between the Theravada and Mahayana schools. A discussion of the historical development of the sangha and links between Buddhism and Hinduism rounds out the program. (20:56)
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Birth of a Faith (Episode 1)
The documentary series about the growth of Christianity from a small sect to the world's largest religion begins in Bethlehem and travels throughout the Holy Land while chronicling the life of Jesus. (55:53)
Christianity: The Good News
Despite its humble beginnings and initial suppression, Christianity is now the largest religion in the world. This program explores Christianity, from the life and teachings of Jesus according to the New Testament to the religion’s evolution into three major denominations. Church doctrine, including the Resurrection and Sacraments, is explained as viewers travel to some of Christianity’s holiest sites. The video also examines the impact of the ministries of Peter and Paul. (24:06)
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Indigenous Ways of Knowing
David Begay, Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University and Nancy Maryboy, President and Founder of Indigenous Education Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, invite us to understand Navajo ways of knowing. They describe a worldview that is place-based, emphasizes kinship and connection, and intimately orients the human within an interrelated and unified cosmos. (32:04)
Land of the Dogon: World Heritage in Peril
With its traditional peak-roofed huts nestled along the Cliff of Bandiagara, the Dogon people’s homeland looks idyllic, like something from a child’s storybook. But the Dogons are facing real-world problems. Fear of al Qaeda keeps tourists away, the younger generation is bored and restless, and precious artifacts are disappearing, though UNESCO has made this part of Mali a World Heritage Site. (52:19)
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Islam: Surrender to God
The word “Islam” can be translated as “surrender,” meaning that Muslims strive to serve God and live according to his will. This program provides a Quranic biography of Muhammad, Islam’s founder, and a guide to main Islamic beliefs. Through conversation with a young follower, viewers learn about the Five Pillars and the observance of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. The video also touches on the Shia/Sunni split and the role of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as prophets. (21:52)
Wudu Islamic Washing
One of the pillars of Islam is that Muslims pray five times a day. Before those prayers, they are expected to perform a purification ritual called Wudu, during which they wash their face, hands, arms and feet. We visited Masjid Muhammad Mosque in Washington, D.C., where Imam Talib Shareef described the ablution practice as preparing for an “appointment before God.” (02:16)
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Synagogues: Absence and Presence
The story of Jewish synagogues is a story of absence and presence. Similarly to its people, synagogues are examples of survival despite conflict and persecution, such as the synagogues of Cordoba, Toledo, and Budapest. (52:17)
Women's Purim
The Jewish celebration of Purim includes reading aloud the ancient, heroic account in the Book of Esther of Esther's willingness to risk her life to save her people from annihilation by the King of Persia. Traditionally, among Orthodox Jews, the story was read aloud by men, but now Orthodox women are leading Purim services, too. Kim Lawton tells the story.(05:01)
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Rituals: The Far East
Pete observes a purification ritual during the Shinto Oto Matsuri fire festival and finds out how war helped to create the world's biggest church. (59:05)
Shinto & Daoism
Religions of the Tao examines the traditions of Taoism that include Shinto, Confucianism, and Chinese folk religion, which focus on the Tao, the origin and law of all things in the universe.(54:45)
True Believers: Religion in Today's China
China is on the rise economically, but the post-Mao era has also seen an increasing hunger for something beyond material prosperity. From the novice Taoist monk honing tai chi skills atop a sacred mountain to the uncountable worshippers of the underground house church movement, this program reports on modern China’s emboldened—yet still cautious—religious population.(26:06)
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Hinduism
The history of Hinduism is as complex as the stories of its many deities and the architecture of this religion serves as an excellent place to understand the meanings of the major gods and their myths.(54:52)
Sacred and Secret: Rites of Passage in Bali
Religion in Bali is marked by rituals of high artistry aimed at harmonizing the forces of darkness and light, as this program shows. Ancestor worship, karma, and other key concepts are illustrated through lavish, rare, high-definition footage of a cremation ceremony—considered a joyous prelude to reincarnation—a birth ceremony, a puberty rite, and a wedding.(46:43)
Sufi Whirling Dervishes
Like other major religions, Islam has a mystical branch, Sufism, which teaches many ways to experience spiritual union with the divine. One of those paths, dating from the 13th century, is dance: specifically the dancing of whirling dervishes, who were followers of the poet Rumi. Manjula Kumar, a program manager at the Smithsonian Institution, describes the origins and meaning of whirling dervish dancing.(02:13)
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