¶ … Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ contains universal and timeless motifs, symbols, and themes. Among the themes that most viewers will easily relate to are the love between mother and child, the nature of human suffering, and the nature of devotion. However, one of the most poignant topics addressed in the film that also pertains to the modern era deals with the nature of government, the ways politicians function in their public and private lives, and the interface between religion and politics.
In the film's depicted time period as well as in the modern era, politics cannot be separated from many
Jesus of Nazareth was deemed to be a threat to the existing state and religious hierarchies. His teachings undermined the authority of the Jewish priests, who were in informal collusion with the Roman government. Although no exact parallel can be drawn between the situation depicted in the film and the modern era, any political dissident who amasses a large following would be likewise persecuted by the government or by whatever organization felt threatened. Viewed as a political and religious insurgent, Jesus' presence especially irritated the upper echelon of Jewish priests, who pressured the Roman consul to officially prosecute and execute. Nowadays, individuals are still being persecuted for their beliefs; although people are not being crucified literally, many have been figuratively hung for espousing beliefs that threaten the establishment. Jesus was basically a political prisoner. Likewise, in the wake of September 11, the United States government has kept many individuals in custody for interrogation regarding their political allegiances and their supposed links to terrorist groups.
Moreover, The Passion of the Christ illustrates how politicians differ in their public from their private lives. The Roman consul did not act according to the dictates of his conscience, did not have any evidence against…
Passion of the Christ Director Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, has had a tremendous impact on New Testament studies and culture at large. The movie's violent nature has created a great deal of controversy, but the movie has largely been seen as an accurate portrayal. In terms of New Testament studies, the movie's reach is limited, as it contains a relatively restricted look at Jesus' teachings, and the
Passion: overwhelming erotic love. Passion: zeal, intense interest in a thought, ideal, belief, person, or activity. Passion: anger, rage, fury. Passion: suffering. Perhaps most commonly used in reference to romantic, erotic love in modern culture, the word passion actually evokes any strong, overpowering emotion. Mel Gibson's recent film The Passion of the Christ reminds viewers that in Christian thought, passion refers explicitly to Jesus's suffering. Christian passion is frequently depicted
Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ For most of its duration, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ lingers horrifyingly on a mostly-naked male body in pain; as a result, the rest of the film seems exceptionally anxious otherwise about the issue of homoeroticism. Gibson claimed in interviews that the principal source for the film's screenplay (credited to Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald) besides the New Testament came in the recorded
Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ," has evoked a number of different responses from viewers and critics. It appears that, like the topic of religion itself, the one certain thing is that it is impossible to remain untouched after seeing the film. Perhaps then a study of the scholarly and cultural ramifications of Gibson's work would be profitable. First then, the impact of the film on New Testament
Second, he must attempt to present good doctrine. Contrary to what some may suggest, these first two goals are not identical -- merely by translating from the page to the screen what the gospels describe happening would not explain the theological significance of the events, as Jesus is rather too busy being executed to have much time to explain his purpose of salvation in those chapters -- this purpose
Jewish leaders, rather than a teacher of a profound ideology that changed the world. The martyring of Jesus is a significant part of his legacy, true, but it is not the only aspect of Jesus' legacy of significance that is highlighted in the gospel narratives. The bloody nature of the death of Jesus also shifts the emphasis from Jesus' mind to Jesus' body. Even in the gospels, although the
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