Gillian Bancroft

McCulloch's video series is a good companion to his book, but leaves you with a different feeling. Perhaps it's the religious people from all over the world he talks with, but what emerges is a more positive view of a living Christianity--especially Protestant--than in the book. Just seeing the faces of worshippers in the world's largest church in Seoul or the commitment of the market ladies in Ghana makes a non-believer such as myself nod my head in grudging respect--not that I'm about to become a believer. But it is easy to see how important religion is for so many people. The six hours here aren't nearly enough to tell the story in the depth that the book does, so it becomes a bit of a travelogue as McCulloch travels all over the world. Much of the video we see consists of him going up steps, gazing out at rivers or other scenes, or drinking beer or coffee while narrating. But somehow it all works. He is a very compelling speaker and in his white hat, which we see him take off again and again as he enters buildings, he is an enviable, relaxed model of stylishness. Not only that, he seems to speak German and French (as well as Latin and probably Hebrew and Greek), and he even plays the organ in Germany. If I had a stylish hat, I would take it off to him.… (mere)