ABSTRACT
Public discontent with motion pictures with religious themes at their core did not begin with 2004’s The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson’s graphic account of the final hours of Christ attracted criticism, including accusations of being anti-Semitic. Before that, Martin Scorsese’s 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ portrays Jesus as a tormented, fearful young man confused by sex and uncertain of his path in life. The film was condemned by virtually every Christian denomination, domestically and internationally. Showings of the film were protested, picketed, subject to boycotts and bomb threats, and excluded from the titles carried by the Blockbuster Video chain.
