“A.D.” and the stoning of Stephen — UPDATED

“A.D.” and the stoning of Stephen — UPDATED May 4, 2015

I was looking for a longer version of this clip, but it doesn’t appear to be available. Nonetheless: here’s a recap of last night’s episode of “A.D.: The Bible Continues,” which concludes with Stephen’s martyrdom.

I found the stoning gripping and graphic—but Stephen wasn’t exactly the most saintly or sympathetic of martyrs. He was, actually, sorta snippy and petulant, demanding to preach when Peter wanted him to do other things. (Isn’t that just like a deacon?)

For comparison, here’s the martyrdom as presented in a TV movie—also called “A.D.”— from the mid-1980s.

UPDATE: The Archdiocese of Washington has produced a series of short videos offering a “Catholic take” on the series. And here’s what they have to say about this episode, and the martyrdom of Stephen:

 


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