Since its release on Ash Wednesday 2004, The Passion of the Christ has become a commercial success of astonishing proportions, already ranking as one of the highest grossing films of all time. At the same time, it has created a torrent of controversy and debate, provoking passionate responsesboth negative and positivefrom people of widely divergent backgrounds and beliefs. It has exposed fundamental differences of opinion and belief about everything from the historical truth of the Bible to the political power of Hollywood. Perspectives on the Passion of the Christ gathers together contributions from theologians, journalists, academics, and philosophers representing a wide spectrum of views and backgrounds. From the film's theological and historical underpinnings, to its cinematic and cultural implications, here is a balanced and thought-provoking exploration of the vital questions raised by The Passion of the Christ. Jews and Christians, evangelicals and agnostics, filmmakers and scholarsthe film elicits fascinating responses from all. Among others, Jon Meacham of Newsweek looks hard at the historical record and asks, "Who Really Killed Jesus" Rev. Susan Thistlethwaite asks why such an exceptionally violent movie has been embraced by so many conservative Christians and argues that The Passion of the Christ presents Jesus as a hero in a war movie; Rabbi Eugene Korn considers the movie's potential impact on interfaith relations; and Steve Martin offers an oblique comic view, from the perspective of a Hollywood insider. Full of insight into a phenomenon that has raised so many burning and complex issues, this collection is the indispensable guide to understanding the cultural lightning rod that is The Passion of the Christ.

Biblical scholars Timothy K. Beal and Tod Linafelt, along with an esteemed group of contributors, offer a provocative range of views on The Passion of the Christ. The book is organized in three parts. The first analyzes the film in terms of its religious foundations, including the Gospels and nonbiblical religious texts. The second group of essays focuses on the ethical and theological implications of the film's presentation of the Christian Gospel. Finally, the third section explores the film as a pop cultural phenomenon.

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.

Engaging the Passion gathers an impressive array of scholars to survey how the death of Jesus has been portrayed and represented in Scripture, liturgy and music, literature, art and film, and theology and ethics—from the first to the twenty-first centuries. The contributors approach the passion from a variety of perspectives—diversely Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and secular. Their voices differ as well, from the challenging to the comforting and from the academic to the confessional. They address the faithful, the skeptical, and the curious.

No movie in recent memory has created more heated reaction than Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. This is the first book to bring together experts from many faiths and perspectives to discuss the film in an unbiased way. Leading US scholars, journalists and theologians offer their insights in this fact-based look at the film's message, including John Meacham, managing editor of Newsweek, and Paula Fredrikson, Professor of Scripture at Boston University. A much needed, accurate and rational look at the life of Jesus.

Deepen your journey into the unforgettable film, The Passion of The Christ. In this authorized, behind-the-scenes look at the movie, Fr. John Bartunek, L.C., provides biblical, historical, and theological insights gleaned from hours spent on the set and interviews with the director, actors, and filmmaking crew. Inside The Passion is the most complete and thorough commentary on the movie you will read.

The story of Jesus Christ goes much deeper than His crucifixion and resurrection. Few will dispute that a man named Jesus Christ lived 2,000 years ago and that He was a great teacher who impacted the world. Christ made a controversial claim—that He was the very Son of God, the long-prophesied Messiah—causing religious authorities in Jerusalem to reject Him, hate Him and eventually succeeded in having Him put to death. Likewise, the local Roman civil authorities also saw Him as a threat and became complicit in His execution. The religions of His day, both Judaism and paganism, opposed the growth of His teachings and used unlawful and violent means to try to destroy the Church He founded. The government of Rome also came to vigorously persecute the followers of this Jewish teacher from Galilee. Today, there is much confusion and questions concerning this controversial figure. Where can you go for the answers? The Bible. This Bible Study aid booklet, "Jesus Christ: The Real Story" will help explain what is written in the Bible about Jesus Christ. You can discover the answers to these questions and more: Who was Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Where did He come from? When was Jesus Christ born? What did Jesus teach? Was He God in the flesh? What did Jesus look like? Was He only a man? Why did He die? Discover the true, fascinating story that so few understand. The story of the greatest Man who ever lived and the misunderstood message He preached—the gospel (good news) of the coming Kingdom of God! Chapters in this ebook: -- Introduction - Jesus Christ: The Real Story -- Who—and What—Was Jesus Christ? -- Jesus Christ's Disciples Understood Him to Be the Creator -- Jesus Christ: 'The Rock' of the Old Testament -- The Family of God -- Jesus' Amazing Fulfillment of Prophecy -- The Bible Prophesied the Exact Year the Messiah Would Appear -- Was Jesus Born on Dec. 25? -- A Sinless and Miraculous Life -- Could Jesus Perform Miracles? -- Did Jesus Really Die and Live Again? -- Roman Forms of Crucifixion -- When Was Jesus Christ Crucified and Resurrected? -- The Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection -- Do Other Nonbiblical Sources Confirm Jesus Christ's Existence? -- Much More Than a Man -- Was Jesus a Created Being? -- The God Who Became a Human Being -- Jesus' Family Connections -- Did Jesus Have Long Hair? -- The Messiah's Misunderstood Mission -- What Do 'Messiah' and 'Jesus Christ' Mean? -- What Was Jesus' Gospel? -- Salvation Is Entrance Into the Kingdom of God -- Other Names for the Kingdom -- Jesus' Teaching on God's Law -- Other Important Ways Jesus Fulfilled the Law -- Christ's New Commandment -- Does the New Covenant Abolish the Commandments? -- Jesus Christ and the Festivals of the Bible -- Who Killed Jesus? -- Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God -- The Tearing of the Temple Veil -- Alive Again Today and Forever -- Your Date With Destiny: Meeting the Real Jesus -- 'Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!' Inside this Bible Study Aid ebook: "Perhaps the boldest claim Jesus made about His identity was the statement, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John:8:58)...What was going on here? Jesus was revealing His identity as the actual One whom the Jews knew as God in the Old Testament." "The New Testament writers cite messianic prophecies from the Old Testament more than 130 times. By some estimates the Old Testament contains 300 prophetic passages that describe who the Messiah is and what He will do. Of these, 60 are major prophecies. What are the chances of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person?" "A careful analysis of Scripture, however, clearly indicates that December 25 is an unlikely date for Christ’s birth. Here are two primary reasons..." "How can we fit “three days and three nights” between a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection?"

Some essays are from a symposium held Mar. 30, 2004 at Purdue University.

What did Jesus look like? Pop some popcorn and invite friends as America’s beloved faith-and-film writer Edward McNulty leads us through a dozen big-screen stories inspired by Jesus’s life. McNulty provides everything you need to spark spirited discussion from the best film clips to show your group—to dozens of questions you could ask. You’ll explore hits like The Passion of the Christ and Jesus Christ Superstar. And some surprises, too! Can you find Gospel themes in Cool Hand Luke and Broadway Danny Rose?