R EISENBERG PRESENTS January 18, 2011 A pilgrimage to the heart of an ancient spirituality. Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer (1/60). Producer: Norris J. Chumley and John A. McGuckin Magnetic Arts Presenter & Distributor: American Public Television (APT-Exchange) NOLA Code: MJCP HD Feed for Record: APT Will Post to Connect SD Bike Format: Beta SP Rights Begin April 1 2011 in Time for EASTER. Broadcast: Unlimited Releases/3 Years VOD: No Non-Commercial Cable: Granted School Record: One Year from any broadcast date Rating: TV Look for the Hour Special in the APT Teleconference on January 20, 2011 APT. Preview feed: Monday January 24, 2011 1700-1800ET /SD05 IPRF 801 Screening DVD s Are on their Way & Documentary Will Be Online at:
www.aptonline.org in early February Dear colleague: For thousands of years men and women from all races, beliefs and ethnicities have left "civilization" to sequester themselves and seek contact with God or something higher than themselves through the practices of silence and prayer. American Public Television is proud to present Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, a one-hour special that takes viewers on a modern-day pilgrimage to the ancient lands where Christianity began. We accompany Emmy-award-winning producer Dr. Norris Chumley and renowned historian Very Rev. Dr. John McGuckin as they retrace the steps taken by two 7th Century Jerusalem monks seeking the wisdom and peace found in silence. Obtaining unprecedented access, Chumley and McGuckin visit sacred sites where for the first time hermits, monks and nuns appear on-camera sharing their ancient, secret prayers. Their encounters provide us with a glimpse into the mystery of monasticism or why contemplatives seek solitude in "the desert." Part historical document, part travel, part comparative religion, part great art, Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer offers us a brief respite from our busy worlds as we discover the secrets of the Jesus Prayer. Our journey takes us from Egypt to Greece to Romania to the Ukraine to Russia, where we meet desert hermits, monks and nuns who invite us into their caves and sanctuaries as they reveal aspects of their contemplative practices around the powerful prayer known as The Jesus Prayer. Along the way, we'll see some of the world's oldest treasures of religious art and sacred altars hidden away in monasteries and chapels off limits to the outside world. Until now. Eight years in the making, Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer begins at the oldest surviving monastery in the world, St. Antony's near the Red Sea. Chumley and McGuckin crawl inside St. Anthony's 4th Century cave where St. Anthony lived for 46 years and meet the monastery's current leader, Father Lazarus. They travel to Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery to experience prayers and meditation with the monks and continue on to holy Mt. Athos, Greece, where only hermits and monks have been allowed, as they join in the continuous prayers and chants practiced for the past 1,000 years. Their next stop is Transylvania in Romania, where they encounter Christian sages and mystical masters. Exploring caves and hermit monk's cells from the 13 th Century in Kiev, they next hear the world's largest bell at Sergiyev Posad Monastery in Russia. In Russia they join with hundreds of monks, bishops, angelic choirs and thousands of devout Russians gathered to celebrate the holy mysteries of "the Kingdom of God on Earth." Known by generations of eastern Christians, the mystical Jesus Prayer has been in use since the Apostles, but remains largely unknown in the
West. In its long form, the Jesus Prayer consists of the continuous repetition of the words: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Its short form is, "Lord, Have Mercy." There has never before been this kind of access to such holy, ancient locations and secret practices. Viewers won't want to miss this once-in-a-life trip to the heart of the contemplative Christian tradition. Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer is produced by Norris J. Chumley, Ph.D. and John A. McGuckin, Ph.D. and is a production of Magnetic Arts, LLC. The documentary is presented and distributed at no cost to public television stations by American Public Television (APT-Exchange). The primary underwriter is Virginia H. Farah Foundation. Major underwriters are Avalon Foundation, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt and Abby and Stephen Wise. Local underwriting is permissible. Please contact me if you have questions. I ll be in touch with you about your carriage plans during the next months. A fact sheet follows. Very truly yours, Regina R Eisenberg Presents 2340 Powell Street, Suite 333, Emeryville, CA 94608 - R EISENBERG PRESENTS fact sheet Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer
Program Summary: A one-hour special that takes viewers on a modern-day pilgrimage to the ancient lands where Christianity began. We accompany Emmyaward-winning producer Dr. Norris Chumley and renowned historian Very Rev. Dr. John McGuckin as they retrace the steps taken by two 7th Century Jerusalem monks seeking the wisdom and peace found in silence in their search of an ancient prayer heretofore unknown in the west. Guides: The Very Rev. Dr. John Anthony McGuckin: Nielsen Professor Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University and a priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Author of 19 books, most recently The Orthodox Church: Its History and Spiritual Culture (2007). V. Rev. McGuckin has published over 100 scholarly articles mainly centering on the thought of fourth to fifth century Greek Christian theologians. He has served as visiting professor and guest lecturer in many universities and colleges in England, Ireland, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Italy and the US and has appeared as a specialist on discussions for the BBC, The History Channel and PBS programs. In 2005 he was selected as one of the prestigious Henry Luce III Fellows in Theology in America. Dr. Norris J. Chumley, Ph.D.: Emmy -Award-winning documentary producer, director and author. His work has been featured on PBS, NBC, ABC, A&E, USA, Showtime/The Movie Channel, HBO/Cinemax and WNET. His specials and documentaries include Mark Twain's: The Diaries of Adam and Eve (American Playhouse), Getting the Love You Want (APT) and The Gospel According to Jesus (HBO/Cinemax). Chumley is Executive Producer and Director of Media for Columbia University's Department of Religion and an adjunct professor at New York University's Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. Episodes/Length: 1/60 Rights: Broadcast: Unlimited Releases/3 Years April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2014 Radio Simulcast: Granted Non-Commercial Cable: Granted VOD: No School Re-Record: One year from any broadcast within term. Video: HD 1080i NOLA Code:
MJCP HD Feed for Record: APT will post on Connect. SD Bike: Beta SP Audio/Visual: Stereo/Closed Captioned V-Chip Rating: TV-G Producer: Dr. Norris J. Chumley and John A. McGuckin, Magnetic Arts Underwriters: Primary: Virginia H. Farah Foundation Major: Avalon Foundation, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Abby and Stephen Wise Local Underwriting: Local underwriting is permissible. Companion Book: HarperOne Companion Book by the same title published April 5,2011 accompanied by major publicity and author tours. Visited cities include: Princeton, NJ, March 12 th New York, April 5 th & April 13 th Washington, DC Chicago Los Angeles San Francisco Websites: www.mysteriesofthejesusprayer.com www.americanpublictelevisiononline.org www.stationrelations.com www.reisenbergpresents.com Contacts: Station Relations & DVD Screener R Eisenberg Presents regina@stationrelations.com 510.550.1706 Publicity & PR:
Darcy Cohan, Director of Publicity HarperOne HarperCollinsPublishersDarcy.Cohan@HARPERCOLLINS.com 415.477.4401 or Norris J. Chumley, Ph.D. Executive Producer/Director/Co-Author njc1@magneticarts.com 212.979.1471 Viewer Contact: Norris J. Chumley, Ph.D. Executive Producer/Director/Co-Author njc1@magneticarts.com 212.979.1471 2340 Powell Street, Suite 333, Emeryville, CA 94608