Below is an article from Christianity Today interviewing Jennings.
Christianity Today, Week of March 29
Peter Jennings Goes Back to the Bible
The ABC news anchor talks about Monday's three-hour special, Jesus and
Paul: The Word and the Witness.
Interview by Darrell Bock | posted 04/02/2004
Four years ago, Peter Jennings of ABC News hosted a two-hour special
on "The Search for Jesus." On Monday, he returns to the subject in an
even longer documentary, [91]Jesus and Paul: The Word and the Witness
(8 p.m. ET). Dallas Theological Seminary New Testament professor
Darrell Bock, who [92]critiqued the 2000 program, talked to Jennings
about this new project.
Why is ABC so committed to religious programming of this type?
I have lived in the Muslim world, covering the Middle East, Russia,
and Africa among many other assignments. I saw it was important to
understand or try to understand the intersection between religion,
spirituality, and life. Events in these and other locales got me
interested in covering religion as a "news story." This coverage shows
the deep interest in and pervasive nature of religion.
When I got back to this country I understood how religion impacts
people how it intersects with people's daily life. As such, it is
important to cover. So we did a Prime Time hour on modern
Protestantism, then on Jerusalem, and then Jesus. It seemed reasonable
to do Paul next.
What does it mean to cover religion as a "news story"?
This considers the impact and use of religion in people's daily lives.
Coming back from overseas, I saw football players give credit to God
for touchdowns, saw prisons make efforts to deal with criminals
through religion, saw the impact of religious faith on the military,
saw religion impact social debates, which evoked deep religious
responses often with great passion.
America has a religious dimension that needed coverage. So we have
done stories to cover the impact of religion, first by hiring Peggy
Wehmeyer as a religion reporter who helped us appreciate this
dimension of life better, then through these various specials designed
to consider the religious dimension of what makes people act and
think.
What did you learn going through Jesus' story a second time?
We did not go back through the whole story. We simply wanted to make
clear what the context of Paul's story was. Paul is more interesting,
and there is more sense of continuity if Jesus is set as the backdrop
for him. This did allow us to use both old and new material on Jesus.
It also allowed us a closer look at some details we raised the first
time, such as the portrait of Pontius Pilate. I went to a screening of
The Passion and I kept thinking, "Well, does that hold up about
Pilate, is that true about Pilate?" Our advantage is that as reporters
we can say, here's what scholars say. Jesus is the platform on which
the Paul story has to be built.
What does Paul add to the mix?
Paul has a 21st century resonance. He discusses homosexuality, women,
sexuality, anti-Semitism, treats issues of social behavior, and raises
the issue of tolerance. He is Jewish, but ministered to Gentiles. He
wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. He gives us real
insight into a little first century movement that was so tiny and yet
led into what became Christianity.
Paul gives us insight into the Christian movement of the first century
because scholars think that his letters are probably the earliest
documents of the Christian movement. Reading his letters is going back
to our roots.
He was talented, passionate, towering, powerful, complicated,
fascinating figure, and I don't think people know everything about
him. He had a great historical impact. It is a news story to tell the
amazing story of Paul's role in the growth of that tiny community into
a worldwide movement.
We have been looking at what a reporter can put his hands on. The
textual, hard evidence. What is amazing to me about this story is the
life and impact--mostly the life of Paul. I hope it will have an
impact on the audience.
I still marvel, I don't know anybody on the eve of Easter 2004 who
cannot continue to marvel at the fact that this was a tiny movement
that might have just disappeared--this small movement, Jesus and Paul,
they might have just disappeared from history, but it is still here in
2004. I don't know how anyone can't marvel at that.
What do you hope people get out of viewing the special?
Knowledge--a greater knowledge of the birth of Christianity. Like what
happened to me from when I started the special, to when it was
finished. To hear the variety of scholars and what they have to say
about him. Possibly also to foster debate, "not as a blood sport," but
a genial debate, in the good sense of that term, about Paul and his
impact.
I grew up going to church--the school I went to in Canada had chapel
every morning and twice a day on Sunday. And they would read the words
of Paul, and I remember thinking I was listening to people use Paul to
tell me that I was doing bad stuff. Paul addressed things that are the
cardinal sins of today's culture. He stirred up strife--you know, as a
scholar--everywhere he went. He was controversial in the first
century; he is controversial today. I also hope they appreciate how
the nature of the Roman Empire made it possible for Christianity to
travel out of the Middle East.
As a journalist, how would you ask evangelicals to assess the special?
They should assess it as I would ask anyone else to--does the special
try to understand the life and impact of Paul, his role, and his
continuity to Jesus? We are more fortunate with Paul, since we have
his letters. We have more direct access to him. We were able to learn
about what was different and what was alike about the early Christian
movement and Christianity today.
By the way, do not just count the voices used and where they come
from. Look to see how they are used, what they say, and how much they
get to say, not just what group they belong to.
Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today.
Grant E. Metcalf
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