Paradise Lost
The Religious Life of Charles Darwin
In the shouting match between proponents of Darwin’s evolutionary theories and those who demonize him, the story of his own religious faith is lost. How might Darwin’s own struggles illuminate today’s discussion of his theories? How, through looking at his life and faith, might we better come to an understanding of the profound impact “The Origin of Species” has had on our world?
In this stunning documentary film, director David Wollert personalizes one of great controversies of modernity. The viewer is asked to take Charles Darwin’s faith journey, one full of tortured struggles and questions, seriously. Though Darwin’s views of God and scripture changed, he remained a committed churchman and supporter of missions. After viewing this film, one’s views will be forever changed.
What they’re saying about “Paradise Lost”
In Paradise Lost: The Religious Life of Charles Darwin, David Wollert places Darwin squarely within the context of the nineteenth century, thereby giving us the best vantage point from which to judge the various religious and scientific controversies that come to be associated with “Darwinism.” By combining a fascinating and illuminating narrative with stunning visual imagery, Wollert has produced a wonderful and thought-provoking documentary that should attract the attention of wide and diverse audience.
-Jim Kelly
The Loafer Entertainment Weekly
David Wollert’s film, Paradise Lost: The Religious Life of Charles Darwin, has an obvious bias. It seeks to present Charles Darwin, not as an enemy of Christian faith, nor as a secular saint of science, but as a nineteenth century scientist whose research, whose personal losses, and whose religious reflections turned him into a “reluctant revolutionary” … “an honest and vulnerable human being in a state of perpetual soul searching.” The film is beautiful. People who are struggling with issues of faith and a scientific worldview will find this sympathetic treatment of Darwin instructive. I will see to it that our college library adds this documentary to its permanent collection, and will recommend to our Communications Area that students of film become acquainted with this example of rhetoric and artisanship.
-Dr. Theodore N. Thomas
Milligan College
This item is licensed for home use and is also fully licensed for use in religious institutions. A license for academic institutions is also available.