Nat Geo to Premiere New Episodes of THE STORY OF GOD WITH MORGAN FREEMAN, 1/16

Prophets, spiritual enlightenment and the afterlife - they are mysteries as old as time. National Geographic and Revelations Entertainment seek clarity on some of humanity's biggest questions in season two of the Emmy-nominated hit series THE STORY OF GOD WITH MORGAN FREEMAN, premiering on Monday, Jan. 16, at 9/8c. As host of the network's most-watched series of all time, Freeman will again take viewers around the world on a quest for interfaith understanding and connectivity through the lens of the world's major religions, science, anthropology and archaeology. The series, hailed as "fascinating" by the Wall Street Journal and "eye-opening" by MediaPost, will also air globally later this spring on National Geographic channels in 171 countries and in 45 languages, and in Spanish on Nat Geo MUNDO.

"One of the things we love most about doing this series is finding the interconnected threads all humans share across different cultures, faiths and ideologies when it comes to seeking understanding of life's great mysteries," said Freeman. "I hope this series continues to not just entertain and inform, but also to open dialogue that will allow us to understand our neighbors both here in the U.S. and around the world."

Each of the three episodes in the new season will explore a different major theme: "The Chosen One?" "Proof of God" and "Heaven and Hell." In each episode Freeman meets with individuals, faith leaders, scientists and archaeologists to help him understand these big topics, including the following:

A 9-year-old boy in Minnesota who Tibetan monks believe is the reincarnation of a lama, a Buddhist spiritual teacher

Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the keeper of the sacred pipe of the Nakota, Lakota and Dakota tribes

Kenneth Bae, the American Christian missionary held captive for two years in North Korea

A woman whose heart stopped for more than eight minutes, who describes in great detail the feeling of heaven she had in that time

Theoretical physicist Ard Louis, who believes that you can find God in scientific knowledge. The deeper he goes into his studies, the more he sees signs of the divine.

A visit to a New Mexico church where followers worship by speaking in tongues

An archaeological excursion to the Dunbar caves in Tennessee to see recently discovered depictions of heaven and hell from ancient ancestors of the Cherokee

The series also visits some of the world's most sacred places, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, constructed in the 12th century as a model of Hindu heaven; Devil's Tower in Wyoming, which the Lakota tribe believe to be one of the power points of their worship; the underwater caves, or "cenotes," of the Maya in Mexico, which they believed were the entryways to heaven and hell; rare access inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith; and the Meskel celebration in Ethiopia that commemorates the discovery of the true cross by Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine.

Viewers who wish to catch up on the critically acclaimed series can do so beginning Jan. 10 with the release of season one on DVD. Bonus features on the discs will include two web series created to support the show online and Q&As with Freeman and other series talent.

Image courtesy of National Geographic