2 of 4

The Passion of the Christ :

• Religion, NASCAR sometimes go hand in hand | The hood of Bobby Labonte's car is both a shameless movie plug — "The Passion of the Christ," coming soon to a theater near you — and some new-style proselytizing for the Gospel (Associated Press)
  
  
• Christ's real passion was life | Can a pious Christian make too much of the passion of the Christ? Can the suffering of Jesus be remembered as too bloody? Or too unique, for that matter? Can the crucifixion be made too central to Christian faith? (James Carroll, The Boston Globe)
  
  
• 'The Passion's' precedent: The most-watched film ever? | "Jesus," a 1979 Warner Brothers release, is all but forgotten in Hollywood, but it is sometimes described as the most watched movie of all time (The New York Times)
  
  
• 'Passion' poised for heavenly B.O. | Media coverage, grassroots marketing draws auds' attention (Variety, subscription required)
  
  
• Story's brutality inflames debate | Some ministers and mental health professionals say parents should be the ones to decide whether a child or teenager is emotionally prepared to view a film as violent as The Passion of the Christ (Chronicle-Tribune, Grant County, Ind.)
  
  
• Jesus Christ movie star | In Hollywood they know that Jesus is good box office (The Australian)
  
  
• Gibson can shape reaction to Christ film | "The Passion" can serve not only as an affirmation of faith for Christians, but also as an opportunity for reconciliation between two faiths tied together by history and theology. (Jonathan Gurwitz, San Antonio Express-News)
  
  
• 'Huge opening' seen for Gibson's 'Passion' | Advance sales and tracking data show a growing interest in the controversial religious-themed film, which could garner as much as $30 million in its first five days (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• New film on Christ evokes controversy, conversation | Ordinarily, seeing leads to believing. But the reverse is true among those evangelical Christians who are eagerly anticipating Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, which opens to the public on Feb. 25 (The Virginian-Pilot)
  
  

Passion and anti-Semitism:

• 'The Passion' should not feed anti-Semitism | Those who understand story will know why (Editorial, Chronicle-Tribune, Grant County, Ind.)
  
  
• Church leaders discuss 'Passion' | "This movie is not going to make anyone anti-Semitic and people who are anti-Semitic don't need this movie to confirm it," Rabbi David Elcott told KOMO 4 News. "Rather this movie polarizes the world—it divides it into them and us." (KOMO, Seattle)
  
  
• Leading clerics take on anti-Semitism | While Mel Gibson's controversial movie on the passion of Christ will cause hurt, it also can be used as "a teachable moment" between Christians and Jews, a noted rabbi told an interfaith group Monday night (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)
  
  
• Catholics cautioned about film reaction | Fearful that Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" will revive age-old tension between Christians and Jews over the death of Jesus Christ, U.S. bishops are issuing strict instructions on how Catholics should view the crucifixion (Chicago Tribune)
  
  
• A $25 million act of faith stirs passion pro and con | Christians and Jews gird for Mel Gibson's film on Jesus (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
  
  
• Who killed Christ? | Mel Gibson's controversial film on the Crucifixion has been pilloried by Jewish leaders but is being hailed by US Catholics as the best recruiting tool for 2,000 years (The Observer, London)
  
  

next page... |  2 of 4

share this page

February (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48