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The Anti - Defamation League's statement on "The Passion"

Posted by Rob Doorack (A) on August 6, 2003 at 13:49:32

In Reply to: There are no SPECIFICS mentioned posted by mishmashmusic on August 6, 2003 at 12:05:09:

New York, NY, June 24, 2003 ... Throughout history Christian dramatizations of the passion, i.e. the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, have fomented anti-Semitic attitudes and violence against the Jewish people. During the past forty years the Roman Catholic and most Protestant churches have issued pastoral and scholarly documents that interpret the death and resurrection of Jesus in their historical and theological contexts. These churches repudiate the teachings that gave rise to Christian accusations that Jews were "Christ killers." They make clear that correct Christian readings and applications of the New Testament must avoid provoking or reinforcing anti-Semitic attitudes and behavior.

In light of the numerous media accounts of Mel Gibson's upcoming film, "The Passion," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) joined with the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in April, 2003 to assemble Jewish and Catholic scholars to evaluate an early version of the movie's screenplay (the names of the committee's nine scholars appear below). Both offices were in communication with representatives of ICON Productions, including Mel Gibson himself, who indicated their willingness to consider the scholars' suggestions.

ADL thanks the scholars for their work and ADL fully stands behind their report. The committee unanimously agreed that the screenplay reviewed was replete with objectionable elements that would promote anti-Semitism.

Based upon the scholars' analysis of the screenplay, ADL has serious concerns regarding the Mr. Gibson's "The Passion" and asks:

Will the final version of The Passion continue to portray Jews as blood-thirsty, sadistic and money-hungry enemies of Jesus?

Will it correct the unambiguous depiction of Jews as the ones responsible for the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus?

Will it show the power of the rule of imperial Rome-including its frequent use of crucifixion-in first-century Palestine?

Will the film reject exploiting New Testament passages selectively to weave a narrative that does injustice to the gospels, that oversimplifies history, and that is hostile to Jews and Judaism?
Will it live up to its promise "to tell the truth?" To do so, the final product must rid itself of fictitious non-scriptural elements (e.g. the high priest's control of Pontius Pilate, the cross built in the Temple at the direction of Jewish religious officials, excessive violence, Jews physically abusing Jesus before the crucifixion, Jews paying "blood money" for the crucifixion)[emphasis mine], all of which form an inescapably negative picture of Jewish society and leadership.
Will it portray Jews and the Temple as the locus of evil?

ADL also welcomes the statement issued on June 17 by the four Catholic academicians in the group that can be found here. This statement explains the complex issues regarding dramatizing the passion in terms of official Roman Catholic teaching, and provides sound guidance for evaluating any presentation of the crucifixion.

For filmmakers to do justice to the biblical accounts of the passion, they must complement their artistic vision with sound scholarship, which includes knowledge of how the passion accounts have been used historically to disparage and attack Jews and Judaism. Absent such scholarly and theological understanding, productions such as "The Passion" could likely falsify history and fuel the animus of those who hate Jews.

Specific recommendations to remedy the numerous anti-Semitic elements in the script have been conveyed to Mr. Gibson's ICON Productions. Mr. Gibson has said that his film is not anti-Semitic. We hope that is the case. ADL stands ready to advise ICON Productions constructively regarding The Passion to ensure that the final production is devoid of anti-Semitic slander.

(The Ad Hoc Scholars Committee consisted of Dr. Mary C. Boys, SNJM Skinner & McAlpin Professor of Practical Theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York; Dr. Michael J. Cook, Sol & Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judeo-Christian Studies, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati; Dr. Philip A. Cunningham, Executive Director, Adjunct Professor of Theology, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College; Dr. Eugene J. Fisher. Associate Director, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Dr. Paula Fredriksen, Aurelio Professor of Scripture, Boston University;Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. Frizzell, Director, Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Seton Hall University, East Orange, NJ; Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, Director, Office of Interfaith Affairs, Anti-Defamation League; Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, Vanderbilt University, Nashville; Dr. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM Prof. of Social Ethics, Catholic-Jewish Studies Director, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago).

The Catholic blog site "Pro deo et patria" offered this in an editorial on the film:

What were the issues raised in the May 2, 2003, "Report of the Ad Hoc Scholars Group Reviewing the Script of The Passion"?

Someone who has read that report has summarized some of the key points for this writer.

The script exaggerates the roles of Jews. Pilate is portrayed as intimidated by Caiaphas. Pilate is shocked by their treatment of Jesus, while Jews delight in it. The Temple is portrayed as the center of evil; the cross is made there, by Jews. A large Jewish mob is described repeatedly as "bloodthirsty," "frenzied," and "predatory." Whereas the Roman soldiers need to be prodded by demons, the Jews act of the own accord.

The script falsifies the relationship between the Jews and the Romans, with the Romans cowering before Jewish figures.

The script falsifies the relationship between Jesus and the Temple. It shows Jesus slaying the Passover lamb in a private room rather than having it slain in the temple.

It would be very easy for Mel Gibson--or any of the people bragging about having been given the privilege of seeing the movie--to come out and say, "No, these things are not in the movie." But no one who has seen it will do so. They say, "It's just the Biblical account." If that is so, why the secrecy?

The scholars had some recommendations.

Stress that Jesus was executed by the Romans. Crucifixion was not a Jewish weapon. This was how Rome dealt with those it felt to be threats--in this case, a popular Messianic figure who, in the heady days leading to Passover, preaches a kingdom that will overthrow all earthly rulers.

Present Pilate as Caiaphas' superior--not as one afraid of him. The High Priest owed his position to the Roman procurator.

Jesus' death cannot be presented in isolation from his preaching and his ministry. It was his preaching of the Kingdom of God that made him a threat to Rome.

The passion of Jesus needs to be seen for what it was: another example of the suffering of the Jewish people under Roman occupation.

There were Jewish leaders who did collaborate with the Romans, and who were enemies of Jesus. There were Jewish leaders who thought it better that one man should die rather than the whole people be destroyed. There were different perspectives, and different motives, and different actions: these cannot be reduced to the one-dimensional cartoon characters seen in the script.

Many of the concerns arise from script directions, and examples of these are said to be in the scholars' appendix. The crowd is referred to as "bloodthirsty," making a "cacaphony of hot, primitive noises, filled with animal anticipation." Jesus is "momentarily crushed by the weight of the cross," and the Roman Guards "have a difficult time restraining the impatient, predatory bloodthirst of the people."

The crowd "is paying no attention to Pilate." He turns to Caiaphas, who, with a single word, quiets the crowd. When it erupts again, Pilate eyes Caiphas, who "raises his hands over his head," shouts to the mob, which quiets down. "Caiaphas looks up. Smug. Arrogant." The priests "stand separate from the mob, exulting in their sense of power."

When Jesus is brought to Pilate, he asks the Sanhedrin, "Do you always half-kill your prisoners before they are even judged?" Then, "You must all be very eager to attain eternal life ... judging by the way you thirst for this body and his blood."

Pilate tells his wife, "If I don't condemn this man, I know Caiaphas will start a rebellion."

As Jesus is beaten, the eyes of Caiaphas are "shiny with breathless excitement. Annas, beside him ... cannot look, his face twitching."

All these things are but examples of the ways the script is said to falsify the relationship between the Jews and the Romans, and to exaggerate the collective role of "the Jews" in the Passion of Jesus.

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