Mel Gibson's Passion and Philosophy: The Cross, the Questions, the Controverssy

by Jorge J.E. Gracia

Book Overview

The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson's spectacular film about the death of Jesus, has quickly become one of the most widely-viewed movies of all time--and one of the most fiercely vilified. It is more loved and simultaneously more loathed than any previous work of cinematographic art.

Some maintain that this film has brought them to a new faith in Christ or a deeper understanding of the faith they already had. Others criticize the work for...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812695712
• ISBN13: 9780812695717
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Open Court
• Length: 225 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An Interesting Collection of Essays.

_Mel Gibson's Passion and Philosophy: The Cross, the Questions, the Controversy_ in the Popular Culture and Philosophy series, edited by Jorge J. E. Gracia, is a relatively interesting collection of essays detailing the responses of various philosophers to the movie. Mel Gibson's movie _The Passion of the Christ_ recounts the last days of Jesus Christ before his death and resurrection, detailing on the screen his passion, torture, and Crucifixion. The movie has been all-too-predictably criticized by atheists and secularists of all sorts as a "tool in the hands of the religious right" and as "anti-Semitic". On the other hand, some Christians have joined in this criticism claiming that the movie is too violent and distorts the true message of Christ. Gibson, a devout Roman Catholic, bases his movie on the Gospel accounts of Christ's suffering and death and upon the visions of the Roman Catholic seeress Anne Catherine Emmerich. These essays attempt to deal with some of the issues surrounding the movie and offer up philosophical thoughts on various aspects of the Christian revelation and on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. My only complaint is that so few of them are actually written by Catholic scholars and that some are written by those with no obvious relation to the movie or Christianity in particular other than as chronic bashers. The essays presented in this book touch on the following themes: did Christ have to suffer violently, is the movie anti-Semitic, what is the truth (a detailing of Pilate's question put to Christ), why was Christ killed, and who is morally responsible. Mention is made of many different philosophers and philosophical schools of thought throughout. Each essayist seems to be coming from a unique point of view which can be both refreshing and frustrating at the same time. As someone who found hope in the movie, I was encouraged by reading many of these essays into reflective thought; however, some of them I found to be particularly odious. That said, I would hesitantly recommend this book for those looking to reflect deeper on the mysteries of Christ and his Crucifixion in a philosophical manner. However, ultimately it is probably better to turn to the source material itself, the Bible and the writings of the saints.

A Matter of Time

With a movie as controversial as The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition),it was just a matter of time before Open Court's "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series got their hands on it. As with public opinion about the movie, the opinions within the book are likewise mixed, though with a more thoughtful response. The book itself deals with the movie in 20 essays in 5 sections. They deal with everything from the alledged anti-semitism, the violence, Christ's suffering and so on. The contributors come from a variety of backgrounds, including theologians and philosophers from various stances. With such a good mix, the views presented are as wide and varied, while maintaining a consistently high level of thought and expression. The book goes some way to make the shock of the film itself more understandable and somewhat less of a brutalisation of the senses. Putting the excessive gore and blood of the movie into a wider philosophical context is an important function of the book. As per usual, I have thoroughly enjoyed this installment from the "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series. Once again, a big thumbs up to this volume. It is very good and recommeded to people from all walks of life.

Painless Way to Learn Philosophy

This series of books, popular culture and philosophy is fantastic. It seems that any popular movie, or TV series immediately generates a backlash. Two recent examples include the Harry Potter books and movies, and Me. Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In the case of Harry Potter, fundamentalist Christians have lamented that the books are teaching witchcraft. In Passion, the movie is being charged as being anti-Semite. In this series of books, prominent philosophers are being asked to comment on these charges and on the story contained in the movie. In contrast to the shrill, loud, emotionally loaded comments being made primarily to get attention to the commenter, here are thoughtful, reasoned essays that challenge the reader to think about and decide for himself about these charges. These books make for absolutely delightful reading. It is a way to bring philosophy to the public in connection with a story that is familiar to a broad range of people.

Helps dull the extremism...

Mel Gibson's depiction of Christ's Passion has stirred a vertiginous array of reactions. Some lovingly praise the movie's moving depiction of Jesus' gift to humanity while others condemn it as a perversion of Christianity, a racist diatribe, or a form of [...]. Not only that, the film's influence, ubiquity, and controversy seem to preclude any rational discussion amongst its supporters and detractors. Film reviews supply the most salient evidence of this. Neutral or middle of the road reviews rarely appear, and most reviews get crammed with overbearing for or against hyperboles. This book, intended for the general reader, attempts to remedy this seemingly hopeless situation. It brings together the viewpoints of Christians (Roman Catholics, Evangelicals and Protestants), Jews, Mormons, and even Atheists into one non-inflammatory volume. It succeeds greatly in this task. The book does not sell or indoctrinate one viewpoint on Gibson's film. Nor does it ever try to impose on the reader a "correct" stance. Each of its 20 essays of course has a specific point of view on the film and the issues it raises, but the book as a whole is balanced. Some essays read like theology, others like Cultural Theory, even others like philosophy. A virtual salad of styles awaits. The topics covered by the book are as diverse as the authors. Five main sections divide the essays. The first deals with the horrific violence portrayed in the film; the second with charges of anti-semitism; the third with the film's accuracy to scripture; the fourth with the "why?" of the passion; the fifth with ethical questions surrounding the Passion. Each section presents level headed for and against positions on the issues. Some of the issues discussed include: Is the violence justified? How does the movie deal with atonement? Does the movie distort Jesus and scripture? What motivated the making of the movie? How do Christians and Jews view the film differently? Can we forgive Judas, and if so, how? What influences did Gibson draw from in making the movie? Did Christ receive due process? What can the Passion teach us about our own mortality? How are women depicted in the film? How do Christ's and Socrates' deaths appear similar or different? Is the Passion anti-semitic? Could Jesus have chosen differently? What theory of nonviolence did Jesus subscribe to? The book also elucidates some of the devices and Biblical references Gibson utilized to make his point (and just what his point was gets debated throughout the book). Those who have seen the movie and are not familiar with scripture will learn a lot. Those seeking elucidation of the principles of Christianity portrayed in the film will also learn much. Open minded readers of any bend will likely finish the book with their extreme viewpoints dulled somewhat. The book simply does a great job of presenting the good arguments on all sides. If the book does have a unifying message it's that "I'm right, you're wrong" is not the best attitud