As Holy Week approaches you may be considering showing or assigning some of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. As you know it’s a vivid portrayal of the passion events, beginning with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The movie initially sparked charges of anti-Semitism against Gibson and the producers which was quelled somewhat on distribution but reared its ugly ahead again after Gibson was arrested for drunk driving and was recorded spewing anti-Semite material against the arresting officer.
A suggestion as part of any viewing of The Passion of the Christ is to address the larger issue of anti-Semitism. The United States’ Catholic Bishops' Committee collection of documents on “The Bible, The Jews, and The Death of Jesus” offers an overview of the issue.
Also, there are a slew of helpful websites that provide background and study guide material for the film. Some of these are listed below:
- The official movie website.
- Discussion questions for six independent topics.
- Several articles and reviews.
Finally, after the assignment, consider having the students read and comment on the Fr. Raymond Brown article "The Death of Jesus and Anti-Semitism: Seeking Interfaith Understanding."
