As I commented earlier about DaVinci Code: “It’s very interesting that many Christians are far more upset about this movie than they were about Mel Gibson’s “The Passion,” a film which grossly misrepresented the origins of both Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.”
I have seen some opinion articles which see Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories ala Protocols of the Elders of Zion in DaVinci Code or ascribe typical Anti-Semitic stereotypes to the characterization of Opus Dei. Although Opus Dei is problematic enough on its own, I disagree with these writers. I think most people understand that this movie (and the novel on which it’s based) is adventure fiction. Here is a link to an extensive article on DaVinci Code in the Jerusalem Post.
Here’s what I wrote in 2004 about Mel’s Movie. I stand by it today. To the reader who commented “it tracked quite nicely with what I was taught in Catholic school” – well, perhaps he went to Catholic School prior to Vatican II.
Here is some fact-checking on Mel’s Movie:
AJC American Jewish Committee – The Passion: A Resource Manual in pdf format
Reform Judaism’s CIA Special Page on Mel Gibson’s Passion
FAQ: The ADL and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”
Some Catholic Resources Here
My friend Michael Cook was on the committee of Catholic and Jewish scholars who reviewed the script for the USCCB. Here are some of his articles that are available online at his faculty webpage:
* “The Bishop’s Cop-Out” in The Forward (site registration required) (2004)
* “Some Jewish Reactions to Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ” (2004)
* Excerpts from Postings Concerning: ‘Our Gibson Strategy,’ including a ‘Checklist’ of 48 critical motifs to look for in the Mel Gibson film, The Passion of the Christ” (2004)
* “An Insider’s Account of the Mel Gibson Ordeal,” Chronicle Issue 63 (2004) – available in PDF format
* “Jewish Understandings of the New Testament,” Chronicle Issue 58 (1999) – available in PDF format
Some Other Resources:
Source of Jesus’ Great Commandment: The Hebrew Bible, Deut. 6:5 & Leviticus 19:18.