News about the BBC programme 'The Big Silence'
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See all three episodes of "The Big Silence" in 12 parts on YouTube
| 26th Feb 2011 | Glasgow Ignatian Spirituality Centre | Growing into Silence. Mondays 7pm to 9pm: 2,9,16,23 May 2011. These informal evenings will begin with a showing of an episode of the BBC's recent documentary programme 'The Big Silence' and be followed by a time of informal reflection and conversation. |
| 15th Feb 2011 | Christianity
magazine Christian news, commentary and reviews |
The Transforming Power of Meditation. It was something of a surprise to watch an atheist having a profound spiritual encounter with Jesus on prime-time TV. But that’s what happened on The Big Silence, a BBC programme following five British people on a silent Jesuit retreat that aired last year. |
| 2nd Feb 2011 | The Episcopal Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Glasgow | The Open Silence is an invitation to anyone who would like to experience spending up to an hour in stillness with others on a Sunday night. |
| 28th Jan 2011 | Distinctly Askew blog | I missed these when they were on the beeb back in November but have just started watching the youtube versions from Worth Abbey. Looks very interesting! Silence is something I’m feeling a desire to explore a lot more right now. |
| 23rd Jan 2011 | Jonny
Baker Blog a day of silence - photography and contemplation. |
a few of us went to the grail, a retreat centre nearby to spend a day in silence. this was mainly inspired by watching the tv series the big silence. |
| 20th Jan 2011 | Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy - God Talk | Silence has Real Value - Fr Christopher Jamison OSB relates how he was invited by the BBC to lead five people on a journey into silence and the message of the Holy Father to young people outside Westminster Cathedral, Friday 17th September, 2010 |
| 19th Jan 2011 | Clarion Journal of Spirituality & Justice | This was a most excellent series - and a bit of a shock that the BBC made it! |
| 30th Dec 2010 | Father
Bede Jarrett, O.P. catholicwideweb |
It saddens me to think that these days “ordinary” means no faith in God. But then those of us that do believe in God and try to practice our faith seriously are counter-cultural. |
| 29th Dec 2010 | Peter Owen-Jones - Facebook | Abbot Christopher Jamison, a Benedictine monk, believes that he can teach five ordinary people the value of silent meditation, so they can make it part of their everyday lives. |
| 28th Dec 2010 | Marie - Naru Hodo | I was completely intrigued by the experiences of these volunteers as they entered first into a monastic "dry run" of silence, experimented with trying silence on their own, and then as they dove into, and subsequently came "down off of" the meat of the experiment, which was an eight day silent retreat at a Jesuit retreat center. Their encounters with themselves, with God, with each other, were all fascinating to me. |
| 28th Dec 2010 | coop8
20 Days of Christmas – Boxing Day and Day 7 |
If you’ve ever seen the BBC show “The Big Silence”, you’ll know what I’m talking about. |
| 22nd Dec 2010 | Archdiocese
of St. Andrews & Edinburgh |
In this leaflet there are resources to help you to experience silence in a positive prayer filled way. This can be a group experience or practiced in an individual way. |
| 11th Dec 2010 | Sr
Margaret Atkins Advent: A Time of Listening - |
For the five participants, however, the hardest thing was not to seek the soul they did not yet know, but to withdraw from the noise they already knew so well. |
| 8th Dec 2010 | Perspective
- Thoughts of a Catholic convert |
More on The Big Silence |
| 5th Dec 2010 | Word from the Vicar | This is indicative of the ‘pick and mix’ society that we live in, taking what we like but not embracing the whole. |
| 4th Dec 2010 | Rev Jackie Bellfield Methodist Minister in the Warrington Circuit, part of the Liverpool District | ‘The Big Silence’, a programme recently broadcast on BBC revealed a fascinating insight into the impact that silence can have in our lives. |
| 29th Nov 2010 | morebitsfalloff.com | Father Jamison is convinced that everyone – atheist, agnostic, lapsed, uncertain, seeking – can benefit from sustained, regular periods of silence. |
| 29th Nov 2010 | Vicar's blog | It took a little while to get used to the quiet, as the people on the TV series ‘The Big Silence’ found out. But if you keep at it, it becomes easier. |
| 29th Nov 2010 | Flying Goose blog | Recently, on BBC 2, three programmes entitled The Big Silence followed five not particularly religious people through eight silent days in a Jesuit Retreat House. They discovered in that silence something that was life-changing. |
| 28th Nov 2010 | Martin Thompson blog | Well worth watching if you missed it first time round. |
| 27th Nov 2010 | The Northern Echo | Escomb Saxon church, near Bishop Auckland, holds half-hour Silence by Candlelight services on the four Wednesdays of Advent, beginning on December 1. “Following the success of the Big Silence television programme, we’re offering a Little Silence,” says Richard Deimel, the vicar. The services start at 7.30pm. |
| 21st Nov 2010 | forum discussion | This was on the BBC a few weeks ago and it's all about the value of silent meditation. |
| 21st Nov 2010 | tractorgirl | The reason I think I was so struck by Trish was because I could identify with her. |
| 21st Nov 2010 | Perspective
- Thoughts of a Catholic convert |
I've noticed today that the BBC tv program, The Big Silence, has been put on YouTube. |
| 19th Nov 2010 | Scottish Catholic Education Service | A series of four evenings of reflection on the importance of silence in our lives, inspired by the recent BBC2 series 'The Big Silence'. Mondays in Advent - 29th November to Monday 20th December 2010 from 7pm to 9pm at 28 Laurieston Street, Edinburgh EH3 9DJ |
| 19th Nov 2010 | Catherine Kennedy's photoblog | While I think complete silence and isolation is too extreme I do long for a more simple, gentle life. |
| 19th Nov 2010 | news.scotsman.com | TV review by Andrea Mullaney. Well done to whoever put forward the idea and to the producers who have managed to make the programme more interesting than it sounds. |
| 16th Nov 2010 | BBC Religion and Ethics message board | Did anyone watch the excellent BBC 2 programme 'The Big Silence'? I've only just caught up with it and found it very moving. |
| 15th Nov 2010 | Herald
Scotland |
Turning down the volume of modern life. Silence can be beautiful. |
| 15th Nov 2010 | 'This I do' Blogspot | Last week I caught up on this amazing series on BBC Two that challenged our perceptions of the role of silence. |
| 14th Nov 2010 | rach's blog | After watching The Big Silence, I decided to build some silence-ness into my everyday life. |
| 13th Nov 2010 | Lesley's
Blog |
I found this programme amazing. |
| 13th Nov 2010 | I'm an ordinand - get me out of here! | The first episode inspired me to have a silent day. |
| 14th Nov 2010 | Lampstand Christian Forum Community | It was fascinating and I thought superb television; totally different to the rubbish that is normally on. |
| 13th Nov 2010 | Catholic with Attitude blog | The challenge for the participants, and for all of us, is how do we build silence into our lives? |
| 12th Nov 2010 | Athanasius blog | It's only relatively recently I discovered silence: and contrary to my expectation, I discovered how scary it is. |
| 12th Nov 2010 | BigDaddyWhale blog | I’ve been inspired a bit by the recent BBC 2 Program |
| 10th Nov 2010 | Voice in the Wilderness - Maggie Ross | No Place for Silence |
| 10th Nov 2010 | Beauty for Truth's Sake | A successful film (Into Great Silence) and TV series (The Big Silence) have transfixed viewers with the deep, meditative silence of prayer. |
| 9th Nov 2010 | Churchmouse | I share Fr Jamison’s disappointment that only one of them sought God and Jesus Christ after the retreat. |
BBC Two (Scotland
only)
Wednesday 10 and 17th November 2010 at 7pm GMT: Transmisson on of 'The
Big Silence'
| 9th Nov 2010 | BBC i-player | Epsode
1 - Epsode
2 - Epsode
3 Since 12th Nov 2010, these programmes are no longer available on the i-player. |
| 9th Nov 2010 | BBC News Magazine | The power of silence |
| 8th Nov 2010 | Mark's Blog | It is about 5 people from very different walks of life who agree to go on an 8 day silent retreat to see what happens...God sneaks up on them. |
| 7th Nov 2010 | kicking and silence | A recommendation that if you’ve not watched it already, you make some space to watch The Big Silence ; three programs in which Abbot Christopher Jamison helps five people discover the value of silence. He explains that silence is the gateway to the soul, and that the soul is the gateway to God. Fantastic viewing. (on i-player until 12 Nov) |
| 7th Nov 2010 | Mark Vernon blog | Big moments during The Big Silence - Personal observations |
| 6th Nov 2010 | Ship of Fools | What surprised the Worth Abbey chap was even though the participants had had what he would classify as religious experiences, three of the five had difficulty acknowledging religion; inner spirituality OK, religion ooer… |
| 6th Nov 2010 | St Peter-in-Chains Parish | Did you see the recent 3-part BBC series where Abbot Christopher Jamison, a Benedictine monk, believes that he can teach five ordinary people the value of silent meditation, so they can make it part of their everyday lives? |
| 5th Nov 2010 | Recovery Archive | I loved the skillful insight into how to access the healing power of silence, and the transformation of the volunteers over 8 days. The volunteers were courageous and honest, very imperfect, yet they all underwent a deep transformation. They were humbled by the experience of witnessing their restlessness and conflicts when left with no distractions to 'escape' from their loneliness, boredom, and restlessness. |
| 5th Nov 2010 | By Alex Hudson BBC News | Could you stay silent for eight days? |
| 6th Nov 2010 | rach's blog | If you haven’t seen it yet I would seriously recommend taking some time out to watch The Big Silence. |
| 4th Nov 2010 | The Kingdoms Edge | I'm currently fascinated by The Big Silence - BBC2's antidote to reality TV. |
| 3rd Nov 2010 | YouTube | The Big Silence - Part 1 of 12 and all the rest. |
| 1st Nov 2010 | GAFnews covers the most important research in all fields of politics, health, medical, environment, nature, innovation, technology, space, astronomy, UFO, extraterrestrials, scientific statements, general statements, Researches & Studies. | Could you stay silent for eight days? |
| 1st Nov 2010 | Moot Blog | Some I have spoken to about the programme, seemed to be concerned about the programme, and fearful of watching it, because it means you might have to face yourself or avoid dealing with stuff. As with everything in Moot, I just want to encourage you to watch both programmes, and not to fear. |
| 31st Oct 2010 | Moot Blog | The programme observed the group go through an interesting arc from initial frustrations and rebellion, through intense emotional struggles to a variety of epiphanies. |
| 28th Oct 2010 | The Independent Catholic News | The Big Silence is a not-to-be missed television series on BBC2 which follows five ordinary people who have volunteered to go a silent retreat at St Beuno's in North Wales. |
| 26th Oct 2010 | BBC North East Wales Weblog | Denbighshire's St Beuno's Ignatian Spirituality Centre is to feature in a BBC2 series | 25th Oct 2010 | BBC Religion Messageboard The Christian topic | This new series of three one-hour programmes follows two men and three women as they build silence and prayer into their daily busy lives. |
| 23rd Oct 2010 | megavideo.com | The complete video of Part 1 (Press the red 'Play button' then the green 'Play button') |
| 22nd Oct 2010 | BBC North East Wales Weblog | The programme follows five people who take time out from their busy lives to try and discover why silence is so hard to attain in modern-day society. |
| 22nd Oct 2010 | guardian.co.uk | Abbot Christopher Jamison of The Monastery fame thinks the world beyond Worth Abbey suffers from "an epidemic of busyness". That's a problem, Jamison argues, because contemplative silence is a gateway to the soul, a way to meet our true selves; this, in turn, is a gateway to God. So what happens when five people who live in the bustle that Jamison laments try an eight-day retreat where not speaking for most of the day is central to the whole experience? |
| 22nd Oct 2010 | mirror.co.uk | Many religions believe silence offers a path to God. And Abbot Christopher believes we could all benefit from quietening down. |
| 22nd Oct 2010 | BBC OXFORD | A businessman from Oxfordshire has changed his life by taking part in "The Big Silence" programme |
| 22nd Oct 2010 | telegraph.co.uk | Ed Cumming reviews The Big Silence, BBC Two's new series in which five ordinary people are taught the value of silent meditation |
| 21st Oct 2010 | Mirror | Can Polly Hudson keep quiet for 8 hours? |
| 15th Oct 2010 | The Church Times | Front page picture and centre page spread "Time for a bit of hush..." including pictures and stories of the participants. |
| 15th Oct 2010 | Telegraph | A new BBC Two documentary examines Father Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth's claims that silence is 'the window to the soul'. |
| 14th Oct 2010 | Moot | Pioneer communities, such as Moot, that are engaging effectively with spiritual seekers and the never churched are a gift, not only to those they engage with but also to the wider church. Their unfolding stories are sources of both theological and practical wisdom. |
| 4th Oct 2010 | The Independent Catholic News | The BBC has confirmed the transmission dates of The Big Silence, a three-part series made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC2, much of which was filmed at St Beuno's Retreat Centre in Wales. |
| 3rd Oct 2010 | BBC TWO | Upcoming Episodes |