Day 36. November 29, 2006
Movement 3. Jesus Christs
Lecture 17. Jesus in the Age of Revolution: The Sixties (Part 2)
Opening with MGM's Leo the Lion sitting in worshipful silence, clips from the 1959 remake of Ben Hur reveal an epic but reverential quest for peace of mind as the era of conformity ended. But as Ben Hur roared at the box-office, the beckoning promise of equality in American society unleashed the pent up aspirations of large segments of society previously silenced or unheard. America's epic struggle for racial equality was swiftly joined with battles for gender equality, women's rights, and sexual liberation. Jesus and religion played relatively minor roles in these revolutions. Similarly, in perhaps the most important demographic revolution of the 20th century, immigration reform in 1965 opened America to millions of newcomers from Asia and elsewhere with no prior connection to "The Book."