Mel Gibson's Passion and philosophy : the cross, the questions, the controversy / edited by Jorge J.E. Gracia.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gracia, Jorge J. E.

Series:

Popular culture and philosophy ; v. 10.

Popular culture and philosophy ; v. 10

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jesus Christ--Passion.

Jesus Christ.

Passion of Jesus Christ.

Passion of the Christ (Motion picture).

Physical Description:

xiii, 271 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : Open Court ; [Berkeley, Calif.] : Distributed by Publishers Group West, [2004]

Summary:

Few - including director Mel Gibson - were prepared for the firestorm of controversy that followed the release of the long-awaited Passion of the Christ. Reviled by many, but so popular with others that the film has become one of the top grossers of all time, The Passion has sparked intense debate everywhere from the mainstream media to churches and synagogues to the water-cooler at work. This timely collection of essays explores the film's questions in-depth and expands on its themes. Topics covered include why Christ was killed; whether moral responsibility is possible when God knows what's going to happen; the relationship between the film, anti-semitism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the presence of women in The Passion; the influence of visionary nun Catheryne Emmerich; the meaning of Judas; and much more.

Contents:

Preface: Philosophy Confronts The Passion ix

1 Who Do You Say That I Am? Mel Gibson's Christ / Ralph McInerny 1

I Did Christ Have to Suffer Violently? 7

2 Seeing the World Made New: Depictions of the Passion and Christian Life / Mark A. Wrathall 9

3 Christ's Atonement: Washing Away Human Sin / Jerry L. Walls 25

4 The Focus of The Passion Puts the Person of Jesus Out of Focus / Charles Taliaferro 40

5 Gibson's Sublime Passion: In Defense of the Violence / William Irwin 51

6 God and Man Separated No More: Hegel Overcomes the Unhappy Consciousness of Gibson's Christianity / James Lawler 62

II Is The Passion Anti-Semitic? 77

7 Passions of the Christ: Do Jews and Christians See the Same Film? / Thomas E. Wartenberg 79

8 The Passion as a Political Weapon: Anti-Semitism and Gibson's Use of the Gospels / Paul Kurtz 90

9 Is The Passion of the Christ Racist? Due Process, Responsibility, and Punishment / J. Angelo Corlett 101

10 The Passion of the Jew: Jesus in the Jewish Mystical Tradition / Eric Bronson 111

III What Is the Truth? 125

11 Pilate's Question: What Is Truth? / William Irwin 127

12 How Can We Know What God Truly Means? Gibson's Take on Scripture / JorGe J.E. Gracia 137

13 The Women Who Loved Jesus: Suffering and the Traditional Feminine Role / Cynthia Freeland 151

IV Why Was Christ Killed? 165

14 The Craftiness of Christ: Wisdom of the Hidden God / Dallas Willard 167

15 The Death of Socrates and the Death of Christ / Gareth B. Matthews 179

16 Dances of Death: Self-Sacrifice and Atonement / Bruce R. Reichenbach 190

17 The Crisis of the Cross: God as Scandalous / Paul K. Moser 204

V Who Is Morally Responsible? 219

18 Christ's Choice: Could It Have Been Different? / Jonathan J. Sanford 221

19 Forgiving Judas: Extenuating Circumstances in the Ultimate Betrayal / Anna Lannstrom 234

20 Resist Not Evil! Jesus and Nonviolence / Gregory Bassham, David Baggett 246.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0812695712

OCLC:

56404588