Study Guide for "The Passion of the Christ"

Catholic Citizens of Illinois ^ | Feb 2004 | Dennis and Chris Cortes

[Salvation]

Just saw the movie this afternoon. I can't begin to start to put my thoughts and feelings into words.

Am going over to open up the church for any one who wants to venerate, do the Stations of the Cross, or just talk.

[Salvation]

Go see "The Passion of the Christ".

And then come back here and discuss this Study Guide.

All I can say is that it is very powerful while being very tender. (Yes, I cried -- and I was the last one out of the theater -- I just couldn't move.)

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[P-Marlowe]

MOVIE GUIDE TO MEL GIBSON'S
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
Don't miss out! There has never been a film like it! Powerful, life changing, an unprecedented opportunity for evangelism & discipleship. Exclusive interview with Mel Gibson, Parent's Guide, Pastors' insights, review & more. Click here to download the low-resolution PDF file, or here for the high-resolution read/print-only file. Please note the copyright info on page 3 of the Pdf.

[Aggie Mama]

Thanks for this! I am hoping to be able to see it with DH this weekend. My 8 month old is going through major separation anxiety right now, so I don't know if I will be able to make it. I'm thinking of buying the tickets anyway just to add to the opening weekend numbers.

[fatima]

StonyBurk,Prayers for you and family.

[Romulus]

Jesus knows that this is the ransom for sin

I'm very uneasy with this juridical theory of substitutionary atonement, and it's my understanding that the Church does not propose a settled theory of precisely how the mystery of atonement is accomplished.

To begin with, to whom is this "ransom" paid? To the devil, to obtain the release of souls? But the devil has no rights. He is due nothing, not even the souls of the damned, who are lost as a consequence of their alienation from Christ. Is the ransom due to the Father, then? To suggest this is to propose a theory of a violent, irrational Father demanding appeasement before souls can be released from a devil who's almost his agent.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia has an excellent article on the Doctrine of the Atonement. I commend to you especially the debate between Anselm (arguing for satisfaction of sin) and Abelard (the Passion sparks a loving human response to God).

My own modest proposal is that the passion is nuptial, a revelation of the Bridegroom in the fullness of his kenotic gift of self. In my eyes the Crucifixion is not an achievement, a mode of acting. It's existential and revelatory.

[Trinity_Tx]

"Is the ransom due to the Father, then? To suggest this is to propose a theory of a violent, irrational Father demanding appeasement before souls can be released from a devil who's almost his agent.

Exactly.

...and no amount of esoteric philosophizing by humans can distract some of us from such a conflict of conscience.

The idea of a benevolent God who is omniscient and omnipotent, yet requires so much cognitive dissonance in terms of both justice and intellect is only rational to me as a concept of men.

And that was an almost devastating reality for me to have finally faced after a life trying to believe in what I was taught in Sunday School.

[SuziQ]

Bump for later reading. Hope to see the movie sometime early next week. I'm busy with a Confirmation retreat this weekend.

[Romulus]

The idea of a benevolent God who is omniscient and omnipotent, yet requires so much cognitive dissonance in terms of both justice and intellect is only rational to me as a concept of men.

A lot of nuttiness gets put forth under the banner of Christianity, but if you're looking for a rational, intellectually rigorous approach that maintains integrity with scripture, you have to look to the Catholic Church. I'm sorry you feel let down by your education, but if you take a look at the Catholic Encyclopaedia and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you'll find reliable reference that respect your intelligence and need for integrity.

[pgkdan]

Conservative book Club titled "A Doctor at Calvary" by Pierre Barbet,M.D.

Great pick. This is one of the books that Mel relied on to depict the scourging and the crucifixion. I read this book years and years ago when I was first introduced to the Shroud of Turin.