Programs and Resources on Gibson's "Passion" - Clergy and Educators - Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies



	Clergy and Educators Programs and Resources on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ generated tremendous controversy for months before it was released. Most of the concerns were raised over the depiction of Jews and Jewish responsibility for the death of Jesus. The ICJS sponsored a number of programs for different audiences in response to concerns about the film, including a day-long study program for approximately fifty Christian and Jewish educators and a preview of the film followed by a panel discussion. The film preview/ discussion was attended by approximately 600 people and generated significant television and newspaper coverage. In addition, Chris Leighton, Rosann Catalano, and Charles Arian were interviewed about the film by PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. This web page contains links to newspaper coverage of the film preview/discussion, the PBS program, and articles from a variety of media about the film and the controversy. Links to coverage of the ICJS preview and discussion of Gibson's film: The Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/movies/bal-te.to.screening25feb25,1,5201825.story The Catholic Review: http://catholicreview.org/articles2/ Passionateresponses.htm The Owings Mills Times: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=809&NewsID= 531645&CategoryID=5830&on=0 Links to articles about the film: "'The Passion': They Know Not What They Watch," by Timothy K. Beal: http://chronicle.com/temp/reprint.php?id=3gt2urowao3ayleshxbkin94qdzbly5o Thoughts on the film and the Jewish community's response by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism: http://www.urj.org/yoffie/passion.shtml "The Passion of Abe Foxman": New York Jewish Week editor Gary Rosenblatt explores the role the Anti-Defamation League played in the controversy: http://thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=9152 A review of The Passion of the Christ, by David Denby, appearing in The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/?040301crci_cinema PBS' "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" story on The Passion of The Christ, featuring interviews with ICJS Executive Director Chris Leighton and Staff Scholars Rosann Catalano and Charles Arian: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week726/ review.html# "The Passion Seen Through Other's Eyes," by Rabbi Marc Gellman and Msgr. Thomas Hartman: http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpgel183675766feb18,0,5813093.story?c "Questions about the Passion," by John Ewing Roberts: http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=3797 Journal of Religion & Society, "Special Edition on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ": http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/current.html "The Bare Light of Personal Belief": a review essay by Alana Newhouse of the Jewish weekly newspaper Forward: http://forward.com/main/article.php?ref=20040218644 "'Passion' Responses Dos and Don'ts," by J. Shawn Landres: http://www.jewishhournal.com/home/preview.php?id=11801 A statement by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism: http://www.uscj.org/Mel_Gibsons_The_Pass1320.html An "Open Letter to the Jewish Community" from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights: http://www.catholicleague.org/Passion/ openletter040205.htm "Mel Gibson, The Scribes, and The Pharisees," an article by Jewish New Testament Scholar Amy-Jill Levine about the media controversy surrounding Gibson's film: http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVol6No3/Mel%20Gibson,%20Scribes,%20Pharisees.htm "Christians Launch Effort to Counter Film's Impact": http://forward.com/issues/2004/04.01.30/news7.html Articles and analyses collected by the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism: http://rj.org/interreligious/pub/passions.shtml "2 Jewish Leaders Upset After Viewing 'Passion'": http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/23/movies/23PASS.htm "Capturing the Passion": http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0710/p11s01-lire.htm "A Gentler Tack on 'The Passion'": http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=3123 "ADL Concerned Mel Gibson's 'Passion' Could Fuel Anti-Semitism If Released In Its Present Form": http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASUS_12/4291_12.htm "Vatican Distances Itself From Praise of Gibson's Movie": http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.09.26/ news5.gibson.html "Passion Plays in History and Theology": http://www.adl.org/Interfaith/passion_theology.asp "Mel Gibson Passion Film Causing Uproar" http://www.ginca.com/melgibson.html An article by Professor Paula Fredriksen of Boston University, a member of a Catholic-Jewish panel that critiqued a script of the film: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=80VDpXe%2BtUVYgZguKgNQvB%3D%3D The report of the four Roman Catholic scholars who served on the Catholic-Jewish panel: http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/news/dramatizing_the_death_of_jesus.htm Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine on the film and the reaction to it: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/130/story_13051.html The U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference "Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion": http://www.centerforcatholicjewishstudies.org/ Content/news/criteria_passion.htm Articles on this Web site: "Framing an Eternal Christian Debate," by Christopher M. Leighton and Rosann M. Catalano "Passionate Feelings," by Rabbi Charles L. Arian "Black Theology and the Passion," by Robert M. Franklin "Not My Passion," by Martin E. Marty "Kinder, Gentler Passion," by Spencer Dew Who We Are :: What We Do :: Events Calendar Clergy and Educators :: Scholars' Corner :: Newsletter Information Resources :: Get Involved :: Home
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