Miniseries tackles best-seller ‘Red Tent'

It’s a safe bet to say “The Red Tent” won’t be screened at Sunday schools.

The two-part mini-series, debuting 9 p.m. Sunday on Lifetime, may be based on the story of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob who’s mentioned in the book of Genesis, but it has little to do with ol’ time religion.

Anita Diamant, whose best-selling novel inspired the project, has said her book is a radical departure from the biblical text. Her aim was to give a voice to women, who are largely peripheral figures in the Bible.

Lifetime follows her lead. It’s a noble attempt – with a significant problem: No matter how much you try to beef up the role of the Genesis gals, their stories have a hard time living up to Jacob and his favorite son, Joseph.

“The Red Tent” refers to a female-friendly gathering place where its club members gossip like desperate housewives. It’s here that Dinah (Rebecca Ferguson) is doted on by Jacob’s four wives and she learns to become a midwife.

Life doesn’t stay giddy for long. On a trip to help a pregnant mother at the emperor’s palace, Dinah falls for a prince and marries him without getting permission from Dad.

Her brothers retaliate by wiping out most of the royal family, including her newlywed. Dinah curses her kin and strikes out on her own in Egypt, where she gives birth to a son and starts off on a riches-to-rags-to-riches journey.

Themes of inner strength, loyalty and forgiveness run throughout the four-hour movie.

God? Only a few passing references. Not that the Lord is ignored on TV.

“The American Bible Challenge” is the highest-rated show in the GSN network’s history. “The Bible,” a mini-series that was the top non-sports program on cable in 2013, was made by producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey hoping to draw a new generation to the Bible. The 12-hour sequel, “A.D.: Beyond the Bible” on NBC in April will have the same goal.

“The Women of the Bible,” a two-hour film that precedes Sunday’s premiere of “The Red Tent,” is expected to stick closer to the established text. But pairing a Downey-narrated film with “The Red Tent” is a stretch, especially considering the latter’s adult sex scenes and more throat slitting than prayer session. This is not for young viewers.

Ultimately, “The Red Tent” is about female empowerment – with mixed results.