Jesus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ The Film, the Gospels and the Claims of History

by Corley, Kathleen E.; Webb, Robert L.

• ISBN13: 9780826477811
• ISBN10: 082647781X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-25
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

An exciting and engaging book that will appeal not only to academics but to the film-viewing public, educated lay-persons and students. Not only will the book aid this audience in a greater appreciation of the film 'The Passion of the Christ' but perhaps more importantly it will enable the reader to distinguish between both the contents of the film and the contents of the Gospels and between the contents of the film and what may be historically reconstructed about Jesus. Furthermore the book will aid the reader to appreciate the contributions that the study of the Gospels and the historical study of Jesus can make to the discussion of the film 'The Passion of the Christ'. Jesus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is edited by Kathleen E. Corley, Oshkosh Northwestern Distinguished Professor and Professor of New Testament at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Robert L. Webb, an independent scholar living near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The other contributors are: Dr. John Dominic Crossan, Professor Emeritus of religious Studies at DePaul University, Illinois. Dr. Helen K. Bond, Lecturer in New Testament Language, Literature and Theology at New College, University of Edinburgh, UK; Dr. Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada; Dr Mark Goodacre, Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the Department of Theology, University of Birmingham, UK; Dr. Glenna S. Jackson, Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio; Dr. Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University, Chicago, Illinois; Dr. Mark Allan Powell, Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio; Alan F. Segal, Professor of Religion and Ingeborg Rennert Professor of Jewish Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York; Dr. W. Barnes Tatum, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Greensboro College, North Carolina; David J. Goa, Curator Emeritus at the Provincial Museum of Alberta and a Fellow of the M.V. Dimic Institute for the Study of Culture at the University of Alberta.

Table of Contents

Contributors	vii
Introduction: The Passion, the Gospels and the Claims of History	1	(7)
Robert L. Webb
Kathleen E. Corley
Part 1 The Passion as a Film-viewing Experience: Responding to the film as a whole
Hymn to a Savage God	8	(20)
John Dominic Crossan
The Power of The Passion: Reacting and Over-reacting to Gibson's Artistic Vision	28	(18)
Mark Goodacre
Part 2 The Passion as Story: Evaluating the film's characterization and plot
The Flashbacks in The Passion: Story and Discourse as a Means of Explanation	46	(17)
Robert L. Webb
The Betrayal of Jesus and the Death of Judas	63	(8)
Scot McKnight
Satan and the Demons	71	(8)
Mark Allan Powell
Mary and the Other Women Characters	79	(10)
Kathleen E. Corley
The Jewish Leaders	89	(14)
Alan F. Segal
Pilate and the Romans	103	(15)
Helen K. Bond
The Trials of Jesus	118	(10)
Glenna S. Jackson
The Procession and the Crucifixion	128	(12)
Craig A. Evans
Part 3 The Passion as Art: Considering the film's artistic influences
The Passion in the History of Jesus Films	140	(11)
W. Barnes Tatum
The Passion, Classical Art and Re-presentation	151	(9)
David J. Goa
The Passion and the Influence of Emmerich's The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ	160	(13)
Robert I. Webb
Conclusion: The Passion, the Gospels and the Claims of History	173	(5)
Kathleen E. Corley
Robert L. Webb
Glossary	178	(4)
Notes	182	(13)
Bibliography	195