Baptist video shows Roger Williams, other religious figures in colonial America

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Segment on Roger Williams begins at 20:20, runs about 10 minutes …

Blurb on YouTube is as follows:

Saints and Strangers addresses religious influences from the time of the Mayflower to the Great Awakening, from Plymouth Rock to the War of Independence. It examines the groups of the faithful who were crucial influences during the colonial period — the Church of England, the Puritans, Baptist, Quakers, and others.

What about the hotly debated issue regarding the Christians roots of the American colonies? Was the Gospel the basis of the formation of a nation like none other in all history? What role did faith and religion play in the founding of America? From the earliest settlers in Jamestown, through the fervent patriotism of the pre-Revolutionary period, and the eventual formation of the original colonies into the United States of America, this documentary examines the religious and spiritual roots of the men and women who founded our country. Saints and Strangers addresses religious influences from the time of the Mayflower to the Great Awakening, from Plymouth Rock to the War of Independence. It examines the groups of the faithful who were crucial influences during the colonial period — the Church of England, the Puritans, Baptist, Quakers, and others. Won the Silver Crown Award for Best Documentary at the 2004 ICVM Crown Awards. Won the Bronze Plaque at the 51st Columbus International Film & Video Festival.

Director: Bernie Hargis

Starring: Catherine Brekus, John Bitler, Barry Hankins

For a blurb on the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission website, producer Bernie Hargis notes, “The viewer will be surprised, as I was, to learn the different ways religion, commerce, government and other aspects of daily living were fused together to contribute to the momentous events that led to the founding of our nation.” Listed among those interviewed for the program are: Dr. John Butler, Yale University; Dr. Karen Bullock, Southwestern Seminary; Dr. David Hall, Harvard University; Dr. Barry Hankins, Baylor University; Dr. Nathan Hatch, University of Notre Dame; Dr. Christine Heyrman, University of Delaware; and Dr. Mark Noll, Wheaton College; and Dr. J. Stanley Lemons, Rhode Island College, member of First Baptist Church in America, Providence, Rhode Island. The IBC describes itself as a “cooperative venture of America’s Abrahamic faith communities – a broad coalition of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Jewish and Muslim organizations — in partnership with the ABC, CBS and NBC television networks and their affiliated stations […].”

A longtime (30 years) producer for the Southern Baptist Radio and TV Commission, Bernie Hargis, is an associate pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth.