"The Passion of the Christ"

NOTE: So many fine resources on Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ," have come my way that I finally decided to collect them on a simple web page. The following are resources that have impressed me, and for which I have respect. A number are written by colleagues I know and trust. This is not an exhaustive collection, merely a selection.

Beliefnet.Com-- Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." (A huge collection of links, most from Beliefnet.com itself)
"'The Passion': What's Not in the Bible?: Because scripture is silent on certain details, Mel Gibson drew from extrabiblical sources to craft his 'Passion.'"
Crossan, John Dominic. "Hymn to a Savage God: Mel Gibson uses a 'hidden script' based on visions of a German nun in making his film."
Crossan, John Dominic. "Who Killed Jesus? We can never excuse placing accountability for Jesus' death on any specific group, and certainly not on 'the Jews.'"
"Cross Promotion" (panel discussion involving two scholars and an award-winning author, on Nextbook: A Gateway to Jewish Literature, Culture, and Ideas)
Celluloid Jesus: The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004) (From NT Gateway, a fine, scholarly web resource on biblical studies managed by Dr Mark Goodacre, Dept of Theology, University of Birmingham)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer--a series of articles on the film, a couple of which quote me.
"The Gospel according to Gibson is too violent," Joanna Connors (Plain Dealer Film Critic), 02/25/04.
"The Passion': Cleveland faith leaders speak out," David Briggs (Plain Dealer Religion Reporter), 02/25/04
"Impassioned outcries," David Briggs, 02/23/04
"Gibson reworks 'Passion' to mute anti-semitism," David Briggs, 02/16/04
"'Passion' movie raises religious fervor, fears," David Briggs, 02/07/04
Emmerich, Anne Catherine. The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ ("Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), Mystic, Stigmatist, Visionary, and Prophet"--more than Bible itself, perhaps the true inspiration of the script of Gibson's film)
Exploring Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (The Journal of Religion and Film, Volume 8, Special Issue Number 1 [February 2004])
Fox, Matthew, "Mel Gibson's Passion and Fascism's Piety of Pain."
Fredriksen, Paula.
(Fredriksen teaches at Boston University and is a member of the ad hoc committee of scholars who reviewed script of the film in the spring of 2003, only to have their honest and sincere efforts blow up in their faces with accusations of skulduggery and threats of legal action.)
"History, Hollywood, and the Bible: Some Thoughts on Gibson's Passion"--Society of Biblical Literature Forum. Last accessed 3/2/04.
Mary of Agreda. City of God. Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Life of the Virgin Mother of God, Manifested to Mary of Agreda for the Encouragement of Men. Translated from the Original Spanish by Fiscar Marison. (The other visionary Roman Catholic nun who reportedly inspired Mel Gibson.)
"Nailed: Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ,'" by David Denby, The New Yorker, Issue of 1/3/04; Posted 2/23/04.
Resources on the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ. Boston College Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. (Remarkable, rich collection of resources; especially rich in material on Christian-Jewish relations)
Smith, Mahlon H. "GIBSON AGONISTES: Anatomy of a Neo-Manichean Vision of Jesus" (Well informed; well documented; wide-ranging; thoughtful. Smith is a New Testament scholar, who teaches at Rutgers University; also a member of the Jesus Seminar.)

Robert M. Fowler, Department of Religion, Baldwin-Wallace College, 275 Eastland Road, Berea, Ohio 44017, USA. 440-826-2173 (voice) 440-826-3264 (fax) Date last modified: January 14, 2005. To send me comments by email, select this link. To visit my home page, select this link. To visit the BW Religion Department home page, select this link.

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