Robert Beckford
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Robert Beckford (born 1965[1]) is a British academic theologian and a reader in black theology and popular culture at Oxford Brookes University,[2] whose documentaries for both the BBC and Channel 4 have caused controversy and debate among the Christian and British religious community.
[edit] Biography
Beckford was born to Jamaican parents in the Midlands and raised in the Pentecostal church.[3] He states that his "white, middle-class" religious education teacher "turned me on in a big way to RE and sowed the seeds to think about religion and culture", while his Communist maths tutor introduced him to politics and the work of Malcolm X, who is still a hero.
After A levels, Beckford studied religion and sociology at Houghton College, New York. He then studied at the London Bible College, Middlesex. After a year in the community, Beckford studied for his PhD while also working part-time at Queen's College, Birmingham where he became Britain's first tutor in black theology.[3]
Professionally, Beckford has spent his career in academia, beginning in 1999 as a Research Fellow at Birmingham University, then becoming a lecturer in African Diasporan Religions & Cultures. For two years he was Reader in Black Theology and Popular Culture at Oxford Brookes University, and subsequently a visiting Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London.[4]
In 2006/7 he presented shows on BBC Radio WM, first the African Caribbean programme, and then the Sunday Breakfast Show, a blend of news, interviews and chat about religious and ethical issues.[4][5]
[edit] Documentaries
[edit] Who Wrote the Bible?
In 2004, Beckford hosted a one-off documentary called Who Wrote the Bible? on Channel 4 on Christmas Day. Beckford begins this documentary with this question and pursues the assertion that the Bible's history involves multiple revisions, exclusion and political imperative.[6]
[edit] Ghetto Britain
In 2006, Beckford made the film Ghetto Britain for the television station More 4. Through the course of the documentary, Dr Beckford composes a manifesto of change that he plans to put before the Commission for Racial Equality. Beckford has also made films for the BBC analysing religion and Britain's colonial history, focusing on the role of Britain's African Caribbean community.[7]
[edit] The Passion: Films, Faith & Fury
On April 15, 2006, Beckford hosted his second one-off documentary, called The Passion: Films, Faith & Fury on Channel 4. This was Beckford's exploration of the history and the increasingly uneasy relationship between religion and the film industry, as well as the controversy that often arises as a result of any major religiously-themed film being released.
[edit] The Secret Family of Jesus
Beckford hosted a one-off documentary called The Secret Family of Jesus on Channel 4 on Christmas Day 2006. In this documentary Beckford explores the history and legacy of Jesus' family. Beckford presents historical evidence of: Jesus' familial relationship to John the Baptist; his family unit consisting of 4 brothers and (at least) 2 sisters; his relationship with Mary Magdalene; and of Jesus' ministry being passed to his eldest brother James for the approximately 30 years prior to the destruction of the second temple and the subsequent diaspora.
[edit] The Hidden Story of Jesus
On 2007 Christmas Day, Beckford's documentary The Hidden Story of Jesus premiered on Channel 4. It investigates the parallels between Christianity and other religions, some of which predate it.
[edit] Secrets of the 12 Disciples
Broadcast in Easter 2008, Beckford explored Paul the Apostle's role in founding the Church and his relationship with Jesus' family; the Roman Catholic Church's claim to Saint Peter; Thomas the Apostle's travels to India; James, son of Zebedee as a patron saint of Spain; the demonisation of Judas Iscariot; and female Apostles.
[edit] The Nativity Decoded
On 2008 Christmas Day, Beckford's documentary The Nativity Decoded premiered on Channel 4. It provides an in-depth look at the nativity story, its traditions, history and meaning.
[edit] Evangelical Criticism
Beckford's shows have attracted criticism from various evangelical groups, including Church of England Evangelical Council, the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, which said that various documentaries hosted by Dr. Beckford 'fell back on stereotypes', 'sloppy journalism', 'too easily looked for the sensational and in so doing gave a distorted picture of what is really happening.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Liberation Theology – do Christianity and politics mix? BBC Curriculum Bites
- ^ Westminster Institute of Education – Staff at Brookes.ac.uk
- ^ a b Robert Beckford: A voice in the crowd Guardian Unlimited - May 17, 2005
- ^ a b About Dr. Robert Beckford, official website
- ^ WM Presenters > Robert Beckford at BBC
- ^ Who Wrote the Bible at Channel4.com
- ^ Colonial history is British history at BBC
- ^ Evangelical Alliance attacks Channel 4 documentary by theologian Robert Beckford Ekklesia.co.uk - 16 Jun 2004
