ABSTRACT
Jonathan Adams analyses medieval continuities in contemporary popular culture with the example of Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ. The essay examines the film within the context of the history of dramatising the Passion and of Church statements on the portrayal of Jews. Historical inaccuracies, antisemitic stereotyping as well as theological perspectives are discussed before considering scholars’ and commentators’ claims concerning the film’s potential for antisemitism. The film also caused debate between Christian groups, bringing about coalitions between Catholics and Protestants and also between Jewish groups and academics. The essay ends by considering what the film’s release has meant for Jewish-Christian relations.
