"A.D. The Bible Continues" is returning to NBC this Sunday with its seventh episode, and will continue to focus on the book of Acts and the spread of Christianity through the witness of the apostles despite ongoing persecution from the Roman authorities.
The Roma Downey and Mark Burnett-produced 12-part series first premiered on Easter Sunday, drawing an impressive 9.5 million viewers and earning widespread praise. The show will return to primetime television this Sunday, May 17, and will take a closer look at the events that took place after the death of Christ and the impact it had on his disciples.
On last week's episode of A.D., viewers were introduced to the character of Saul, who brought about renewed persecution of Peter, John, and the earliest members of the church. This week, Saul, who will one day be recognized as the Apostle Paul, begins to target Peter personally, and many followers of Christ flee Jerusalem as a result.
Meanwhile, another one of Jesus' apostles, Philip the Evangelist, finds unexpected success after traveling to Samaria: in a teaser clip from the new "A.D." episode, Philip is shown healing a woman riddled with demons in the name of Jesus Christ, as documented in Acts 8:5-8.
"There is the true power, the power of Jesus," he says as the crowd cheers and claps.
Once again, the show brings the period's political underpinnings to life as the Roman emperor comes to Jerusalem, an event which Pilate plans to exploit to get a promotion out of the city.
"A.D. The Bible Continues" has earned high praise from both secular and Christian audiences for its diverse cast, Biblical accuracy, and impressive cinematography. The Christian consumer group Faith Driven Consumer has given the Bible-based series an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars, a strong indication the show resounds with faith-based audiences.
"People are hungry for stories of faith. People are hungry for hope," Downey said of show's massive success. "They're hungry for connection to each other, a connection to God. The Bible is such a wealth of stories. It has all the ingredients. It's exciting, and it's alive."
"A.D. - The Bible Continues" will air on NBC this Sunday, May 17 at 9/8c on NBC. The encore of last week's episode six will air directly before the new installment.
Watch a preview for "A.D. The Bible Continues" below.
