No noticable rise in attendance, clergy claim, after ‘The Passion’
Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004
Mel Gibson’s film, "The Passion of the Christ," has excited a lot of controversy and discussion. "What you feel about Jesus will affect the way you look at this film," said the Rev. Tom Zehnder, interim pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Springdale. "I liked the movie very much. Unlike some productions about Christ, this Jesus, the Jesus of this movie, is the son of God," he said. "Gibson believes that. He believes the Scriptures, and so do I." Zehnder contrasted the feature film with a recent
Peter Jennings
documentary
about Jesus. "The approach there was very shallow to someone who believes in the divinity of Christ," said the Missouri Synod Lutheran clergyman. "It had some interesting bits about archaeology, but missed the point of Christ’s life. If you approach Jesus as a historical figure of great interest who had an effect on human history, that may be an interesting story. But if you approach it as the story of a man who came into the world to save it, that’s a different film. Gibson has made it."
Some critics have panned the film as an incitement to anti-Semitism. Another local clergyman disputed that interpretation. "I can’t imagine how anybody can come to that conclusion," said the Rev. Mike Paslay, music minister at Fayetteville’s First Baptist Church. "It’s an historical fact that Jews, the Pharisees in particular, wanted Christ executed," he said. "But Pilate is shown in the film as a spineless figure who could have stepped in and stopped what was happening. Throughout the film, Roman soldiers are shown taunting Jesus."
The way the soldiers are shown also made an impression on a priest of one of the three historic branches of Christianity who is pastor of a congregation in Springdale. "I thought the soldiers looked like Klingons," said the Rev. John Atchison of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church.
Paslay’s take on the responsibility for Christ’s death was more personal. "I see myself in Pontius Pilate," he said. "In Herod... in the soldiers... in the Jews ... they all misunderstood who he was. The film shows Peter running away. His own followers deserted him. We are all apathetic. We are all responsible."
A Catholic visitor to Fayetteville who saw the film at a local theater gave short shrift to the charge of prejudice against the Jews. "The Catechism of the Council of Trent in the 16 th century said that our guilt in the death of Christ is much greater than the Jews’," said Kristine Griggs of Tulsa, Okla. "What they did in ignorance, we do knowingly everytime we commit a sin."
None of the clergy interviewed for this story has seen a noticeable rise in attendance since the release of the film, although some shared stories of individuals who have been affected by seeing it. "I can tell you that one person came back to church after many years away," said Zehnder. "She said to herself after seeing the movie, ‘I need to get back to church. ’"
Atchison, a convert to Eastern Orthodoxy who was a pastor with the Assemblies of God for many years, praised Gibson for making the film. "I’m glad Gibson did it," he said. "He’s a real artist. One member of my congregation said he’s looking forward to the sequel — a film by Mel about the resurrection."
The violence of the film has put off some college students who attend St. Martin’s Episcopal University Center. "Many of our students think the film is beyond brutal," said the Rev. Bill Stroop, chaplain at the center.
He also questioned the historical accuracy of the film. "From other sources, we know that Jewish authorities limited the number of lashes a Jew received to 40," said Stroop. "Some people counted the number of lashes Jesus received in the film, and it was far more than 40."
Stroop had more general reservations about the movie. "You’re getting the theology of Mel Gibson, as opposed to the theology of one of the Gospel writers," he said.
In a recent series of Sunday school classes he has taught at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, where Stroop also serves, the focus of the class was more general than Gibson’s. "In the class, we focussed on Jesus’ life in terms of how it affects your own life," he said, "not on the particulars of the crucifixion."
Griggs feels that the particulars of the crucifixion have a lot of relevance for her own life. "Because Christ was God and had the same knowledge as God, every moment in the life of every man in the history of the world was present to him while he hung on the cross," she said. "While he was being tortured to death, my sins were present to him. There’s a great line in an encyclical of Pope Pius XII about that. He wrote — and I hope I get this right — that in the crib, on the cross, in the unending glory of the Father, Christ has all the members of the human race present before him and united to him in a much clearer way than a mother who clasps her child to her breast, or than a man knows and loves himself."
Several of the pastors noticed Mel Gibson’s Catholicism in the film. "Although Mr Gibson is a Catholic, he shows the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus," said Paslay.
Several pastors spoke of the film’s use of the stations of the cross, a Roman Catholic devotion. "I noticed the influence of Gibson’s own personal Roman Catholic piety," said Zehnder. "Many of the incidents in the film are from the stations of the cross. Some people have asked me, where are those incidents in the Bible? They are extra-biblical, but I don’t have a problem with them."
Atchison also thought the Stations of the Cross influenced Gibson, but saw another influence of Gibson’s Catholic piety. The Shroud of Turin gives us a lot of precise information about the physical injuries sustained by Christ. "Several times I thought the actor who played Christ looked like the face of Our Lord on the Holy Shroud of Turin", he said." No one in the Christian East (Russia, Greece, Serbia) has meditated as deeply on the passion of Christ as the Roman Church. "
One Washington County Catholic priest has heard people in his congregation comment on how the film has affected their participation in the stations of the cross.
" People have noticed a change in the way they take part in the way of the cross, "said Monsignor James Mancini of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Tontitown.
The moment when Simon of Cyrene is made to help Jesus carry the cross is one of the 14 stations. Mancini found the movie’s depiction of Simon jumped out at him.
" The portrayal of Simon was striking, "he said." You could see a conversion taking place. He was forced to help to begin with. But when the soldiers were kicking Jesus, Simon tried to encourage him — he told him they were almost at Calvary. It made me think about helping others — whatever you do to the least of my brethren you do unto me. "
Mancini noticed the relationship between the virgin Mary and Christ was strongly developed in the film.
" I thought the portrayal of the Mother of Jesus was terrific, "he said." In other movies, she’s a wilted flower. Here, she’s a strong Jewish woman. She supported him in his mission. She encouraged him to finish his task — not to give up. She must have been torn. On the one hand, he was her child, but on the other hand, she was his disciple. "
The movie’s dialogue is all in Aramaic and Latin — not a word of English is spoken. It has English subtitles. Paslay thought this added to the film’s impact.
" When I came home from seeing the movie, I turned on the TV and the film ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ happened to be on, "he said." The dialogue is spoken with a British accent. Gibson’s movie affected me more because it was in Aramaic. "
Most viewers agree that" The Passion of the Christ "will be remembered longer than" Dude, Where’s My Car? "and" Agent Cody Banks" and a lot of other popular movies. "It’s not entertainment," said Mancini. "It’s almost a religious experience."
Atchison agreed. "The reality of the film is a faith and a love. As I watched it I kept thinking of Jesus ’ words, ‘If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.’ The suffering draws men to Christ. This movie has caused a lot of people to talk to and to think, to get back to their roots. His suffering is an illustration of his immense love."
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