Christian Passion: Gibson's `Passion' is for action, not history
MEL Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" came into my life last April. Gene Fisher, the ecumenical officer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, convened a group of scholars to assess Gibson's script — its historical fidelity, use of New Testament materials and consonance with Catholic instruction. Why did we on the panel care? This was, after all, just a movie. The answer, in part, lay with Gibson's own...
Christian Passion: Some Christians serve as a poor example
By STEVE BUTTRY Christian passion sometimes runs so strong that it crowds out Christian compassion. As a result, some people who think they're spreading Christ's message become rather shrill.When you encounter such people, it's best (though not always easy) to keep in mind that Christianity doesn't teach that we lose our human weaknesses when we believe in Jesus, just that God forgives our sins.I reminded myself of that several times in...
Christian Passion: Quiet Debut for 'Passion' DVD
When Rabbi Harold Shulweis learned that the DVD of "The Passion of the Christ," which debuted on Aug. 31, would be just a bare-bones, no-frills copy of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, the spiritual leader of Encino's Valley Beth Shalom said, "That's very good. I don't think the Jewish community has to repeat, regurgitate, all the anguish, all the anger." The DVD and video release of...
Christian Passion: Quiet Debut for 'Passion' DVD
When Rabbi Harold Shulweis learned that the DVD of "The Passion of the Christ," which debuted on Aug. 31, would be just a bare-bones, no-frills copy of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, the spiritual leader of Encino's Valley Beth Shalom said, "That's very good. I don't think the Jewish community has to repeat, regurgitate, all the anguish, all the anger." The DVD and video release of...
Christian Passion: Religion in film versus religious films
Last week Robert Novak, syndicated columnist and ubiquitous talking head, expressed outrage on CNN's "Capital Gang" that Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" had not been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture or Best Actor. Much less Best Director. Novak declared that the conspicuous absence of "The Passion" from the list of major nominations disclosed Hollywood's...