Robert Beckford

This new feature documentary shows how the 18th century Church became embroiled in chattel slavery. We discover how the Church justified its involvement in the trade and it’s lasting impact. The film then explores what this means for Christian reconciliation today.

Robert Beckford learned the Bible at his mother's knee and grew up believing that it was literally true. But, 20 years on from his Baptist upbringing, Beckford is no longer so sure that 'the good book' is the pure, unadulterated word of God untouched by human hand. For Beckford, who wrote the Bible matters more today than perhaps at any other moment in living memory. His journey takes him from Birmingham to the West Bank, from Jerusalem to Turkey, and from Rome to Bible Belt America.

It is a book that originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East. The subject of intensive scholarship and interpretation, the Bible and its rich narratives have shaped politics, culture, and the human experience through the ages. Seven people from different walks of life offer their perspectives on what history's best selling book says about spiritual life and relationships with others.