Episode 1: Flesh and Blood

“Christianity,” says Decoding Christianity host Christy Kenneally, “is not for the faint-hearted.” Why do vivid images depicting the torment of Jesus Christ and the Christian martyrs play such an important role in Christian art? In this episode, Kenneally attempts to decode the powerful symbolism of the crucifixion and the Christian fascination with physical suffering. His journey takes him from a church in Dublin, Ireland that claims to hold the remains of the martyred St. Valentine, to Pampagna in the Philippines, where devout believers seek salvation by enduring crucifixion.