The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, was a commercial success of astonishing proportions, ranking as one of the highest grossing films of all time. It also unleashed a torrent of controversy and debate, provoking passionate responses, both negative and positive, from people of widely divergent backgrounds and beliefs. Exposing fundamental differences of opinion about everything from the historical reliability of gospel stories to the political power of Hollywood, the film continues to stir up accusations of anti-Semitism, gratuitous violence, and gross misrepresentation of the Bible. This book—whose contributors include theologians, journalists, academics, and clergy from Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish traditions—provides a wide spectrum of views and backgrounds. The essays consider the historical and ethical conundrums presented by the New Testament in general and by The Passion of the Christ in particular. The contributors’ discussions range from the film’s theological and historical underpinnings, to its cinematic and cultural implications, to the issues surrounding the millennia-long question "Who really killed Jesus?"
On The Passion of the Christ Exploring the Issues Raised by the Controversial Movie
About the Book
Reviews
"These essays are well-informed, interesting, and written in an accessible style. The perspectives represented raise unexpected and important issues, eliciting the reader's engagement and creating an absorbing conversation."—Margaret R. Miles, author of Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the MoviesTable of Contents
Contributors
Mary C. Boys
Deborah Caldwell
Philip A. Cunningham
Paula Fredriksen
Lawrence E. Frizzell
Eugene Korn
Linda Kulman
Amy-Jill Levine
James Martin
Jon Meacham
John T. Pawlikowski
Stephen Prothero
Adele Reinhartz
Susan Brooks Thistlewaite
Jay Tolson
Jim Wallis
Leon Wieseltier
Ben Witherington III