Robert Beckford
Robert Beckford PhD is a British academic, theologian, filmmaker and lecturer in African Diasporan Religions & Cultures at the University of Birmingham. Beckford presented Radio WM's African Caribbean programme, and now presents a show on the same station combining a blend of news, interviews and chat around religious and ethical issues. [1]
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 explores the current academic theological research into the Bible's generally unexamined history of revision, exclusion and political imperative.
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.[2]
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.
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 Magdaline; 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.