New Vision TV series asks: how does religion shape our world? Programming Highlights / Vision TV Posted by RAD on Feb 05, 2009 - 08:19 PM - Martin Himel's ambitious documentary series Twist of Faith investigates the collision of current events and religious belief - 13-part series to premiere nationally Feb. 23 on VisionTV American presidential politics. The price of Mideast oil. AIDS in Africa, human rights in China, gay marriage in California. Religion touches everything. In one way or other, we are all motivated by some kind of faith. Belief influences the actions of peoples and nations, and entwines itself into every global happening, from our fight against terrorism to the struggle to save our environment. In Twist of Faith, a new 13-part documentary series for VisionTV, veteran Canadian foreign correspondent Martin Himel (End of Days, Jenin: Massacring Truth) embarks on an epic journey around the world to find out how religious faith is shaping current events - and how current events are affecting the nature of belief. VisionTV presents the world television premiere of Twist of Faith on Mondays, starting Feb. 23, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Martin Himel is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has produced investigative and current affairs programming for some of the world's leading broadcasters, including BBC, CNN, NBC, PBS and Global Television. Twist of Faith is one of the most ambitious projects of his career, taking him to places on earth few of us have ever visited: from the home of a polygamist family in Utah, to the slums and sewers of Delhi, and to the forests of Siberia, where Himel comes face to face with ... Jesus Christ? Said Himel: "Many of us don't practice religion or believe in a conventional faith, but belief still impacts all of us. We have experienced this in the events of 9/11 and in countless international conflicts. Religion affects our lives in so many diverse and challenging ways." Twist of Faith was produced for VisionTV by Elsash Productions Ltd (www.elsash-tv.com). Joan Jenkinson is the Executive Producer for VisionTV. Said Jenkinson: "These are desperate times for many of us, and we are seeing faith take ever more unusual and unexpected forms as people seek solid ground. While we commonly hear that religion is on the wane, Martin Himel's extraordinary series illustrates the degree to which our world is still shaped by the power of belief - for good and for ill." Twist of Faith - February/March Episodes SERIES PREMIERE: "Jesus of Siberia" Monday, Feb. 23, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT Since the fall of Communism and its atheist doctrine, the Russian people have embraced religion - sometimes in very strange forms. In this episode, host Martin Himel ventures into the Siberian wilderness to meet ... Jesus Christ. Sergei Torop was a small-town traffic cop until 1989, when he proclaimed himself to be "Vissarion," the son of God. He now rules over a flock of thousands. His followers, many of them engineers, scientists, artists and other intellectuals from all over Europe, have chosen to join him in an agrarian community, living on strict vegan diets and cheerfully awaiting Armageddon. "The Challenges of Faith Healing" Monday, March 2, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT In an ordinary building, in the ordinary town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, something extraordinary is happening. Men and women drop to the floor, writhing and speaking in tongues. Welcome to the headquarters of Global Awakening Ministries. In this episode, host Martin Himel meets Global Awakening's Pastor Randy Clark, who claims that secular society and mainline churches have denied North Americans the power of the supernatural, and who urges followers to trust in God's power to cure disease and enact miracles. "Women and Islam" Monday, March 9, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT Throughout the Islamic world, growing numbers of women are demanding education and equal opportunities - a stance that sometimes places them in conflict with their societies. In this episode, host Martin Himel looks at the experiences of Muslim women: in Turkey, where the traditional headscarf has become a symbol of the country's struggle between the forces of secularism and religion; in Israel, where activists are fighting to stop honour killings in the country's Muslim communities; and in Toronto, where a developer has created an entire Muslim suburb in an effort to merge traditional Islam with contemporary Canadian society. "Religion and Conflict" Monday, March 16, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT Religious and political conflict have long been intertwined. In this episode, host Martin Himel profiles religious activists in Kosovo, Jordan and the ancient city of Bethlehem who are trying to bridge the divide between warring faiths and lay the foundation for peace. "Ethiopia's Christianity: War on Terror" Monday, March 23, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT Ethiopia has maintained its Christian identity for more than 16 centuries - and to the country's rural poor, Christian faith is a lifeline. With neighbouring Somalia dominated by Islamic militants, Ethiopia has also become a key ally in the West's battle to contain Al-Qaeda. In this episode, Twist of Faith profiles Father Mariam Taye, a high priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Host Martin Himel gives viewers a rare glimpse of a Christianity still practiced much as it was 2,000 years ago, and examines the religious roots of Ethiopia's ongoing conflict with Somalia. "The Future of Judaism" Monday, March 30, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT The very nature of Jewish identity is changing in the 21st century. In Israel, only a fifth of the population is religiously observant, but Orthodox Jews wield significant cultural and political power. Here in North America, many Jews have embraced a secular, humanistic form of Judaism, with nearly half marrying outside the faith - to the dismay of traditionalists. In this episode, host Martin Himel speaks to men and women on both sides of this growing divide, and meets a New York fashion designer who is bringing Jewish symbolism to a new audience with provocative clothes influenced by Torah scrolls and ritual garments. ************ Twist of Faith - Martin Himel Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Martin Himel has been producing and directing news reports and documentaries through his company Elsash Productions Ltd. since 1995. Elsash has served major international broadcasters such as BBC, CNN, NBC, PBS, Global Television, VisionTV and HDNet's Dan Rather Reports. Mr. Himel's previous documentaries include Angels with Broken Wings (2001), North Korea: Desperate or Deceptive? (2004) and End of Days (2005). His film Jenin: Massacring Truth (2004) won a Documentary Award at the Houston WorldFest Film Festival, while the earlier work Confrontation at Concordia (2003) earned the award for Best International Documentary at the New York International Film Festival in 2003. Mr. Himel has been reporting on developments in the Middle East since 1983, first as bureau chief and correspondent for CTV News, and later for Baton Broadcasting, FOX News and Global Television. This article is from CHANNEL CANADA   http://www.channelcanada.com/ The URL for this story is:   http://www.channelcanada.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2665