Throughout much of Christian history, the church had predominant control over religious ritual and belief. As early as the 1st Century, institutions representing "orthodoxy" were banning, forbidding or destroying the "heretical", separating it from what eventually would become canon and religious practice. The 21st Century provides new ways for spiritual knowledge to spread, bypassing traditional methods. Modern Martin Luthers can nail a manifesto to an internet door while the media's obsession with non-canonical texts provides no shortage of material for movies and television. A multi-media barrage challenges orthodox concepts and scriptural definition, often blurring the line between religion and entertainment. The initial clash between the churches and media has evolved over the last century to a point where the media may now produce beneficial results, educating many who may have either left the church or never joined it.

本論文企圖透過有史以來最受爭議的電影《受難記：最後的激情》（2004），探究「耶穌電影」與「反猶主義」之間的複雜關係。《受難記：最後的激情》是一部由著名演員梅爾吉伯遜所自行出資、製作與編導的典型「耶穌電影」，本片憑藉著鮮明寫實的銀幕形象與極度暴力的詮釋風格，在美國社會掀起前所未有的文化論戰與「反猶主義」爭議熱潮；儘管「耶穌類型」電影經常流露「反猶主義」傾向，唯本片卻是其中一個非常顯著而特殊的例子。 從一個基督論的分析觀點，本文企圖從本片呈現出來的銀幕形象背後，揭示本片如何大量取材具有反猶爭議的經典與非經典元素，並運用魔鬼化的敘述手法加以詮釋。此外，本文也將論析圍繞在本片製作、發行與映演過程中，所產生的宗教社群、基督教派與商業行銷延伸爭議，說明現今美國電影工業生態與保守社會氣氛如何渲染本片當中的反猶爭議。 透過《受難記：最後的激情》例證的考察，我們將會發現，由於「耶穌電影」通常不僅具有濃厚的基督宗教色彩，觸及基督宗教與猶太教的互動關係，也傳達刻板的「基督論」教義和神學，使得「耶穌電影」幾乎很難迴避「反猶主義」的指控，特別是在現今市場導向和宗教社群日益對立的情況之下。 / This dissertation proposes a discussion about the relationship between the Jesus film genre and anti-Semitism by exploring Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004), which has been ranked as “the most controversial movie of all time”. The release of The Passion of the Christ has triggered an unprecedented controversy over anti-Semitism in the America. Individual and critical responses to the film have ranged from those who charge the director with pornographic violence or reviving anti-Semitism to others who found Gibson’s portrayal of Jesus to be profoundly moving and spiritually uplifting. Although Gibson claimed that The Passion of the Christ was faithful to the gospels and the gospels were faithful to history, there were still plenty of historical problems and non-biblical material, such as the stations of the cross, passion play and mysticism of the Middle Ages, seamlessly woven into the film narrative. After addressing problems inherent in The Passion of the Christ, this dissertation lies with an inquiry into the demonized narrative and anti-Semitic material behind the silver screen, viewed from a Christological perspective, and with the surrounding communal, denominational and commercial disputes which occur in the course of film production, distribution and exhibition.

German text / Diese Forschungsarbeit untersucht anhand ausgewählter Verfilmungen wie die Passion Jesu im Prozess gesellschaftlicher Kommunikation präsentiert wird und welche Deutungen ihr gegeben werden. Bei abnehmender christlicher Sozialisation kommt der medialen Vermittlung eine zunehmende Bedeutung zu. Ausgehend von den Kontroversen um eine Darstellung des Lebens Jesu im Film soll gezeigt werden, dass die Passion Jesu als Kerngeschichte des Christentums in diesem Medium erzählt werden kann, was aus theologischer Sicht dabei zu beachten ist und welche kritische Funktion speziell der neutestamentlichen Wissenschaft dabei zukommt. Sowohl die Notwendigkeit audiovisueller Präsentation der Passion als auch deren Interpretation durch begleitende Verkündigung im sozialen Kontext werden herausgearbeitet. / This thesis uses selected films to examine how the passion of Jesus is presented within the process of social communication and which interpretation it is given. The decline of christian socialisation leads to rising importance of communication by media. Starting with the controversies about making films about the life of Jesus it will be shown, that the passion of Jesus as a central story of christianity can be told in this media, what should be observed from a theological point of view and the critical function of especially New Testament scholarship. The necessity of audiovisual presentation of the passion as well as its interpretation completed by preaching within the social context will be shown. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)

German text / Diese Forschungsarbeit untersucht anhand ausgewählter Verfilmungen wie die Passion Jesu im Prozess gesellschaftlicher Kommunikation präsentiert wird und welche Deutungen ihr gegeben werden. Bei abnehmender christlicher Sozialisation kommt der medialen Vermittlung eine zunehmende Bedeutung zu. Ausgehend von den Kontroversen um eine Darstellung des Lebens Jesu im Film soll gezeigt werden, dass die Passion Jesu als Kerngeschichte des Christentums in diesem Medium erzählt werden kann, was aus theologischer Sicht dabei zu beachten ist und welche kritische Funktion speziell der neutestamentlichen Wissenschaft dabei zukommt. Sowohl die Notwendigkeit audiovisueller Präsentation der Passion als auch deren Interpretation durch begleitende Verkündigung im sozialen Kontext werden herausgearbeitet. / This thesis uses selected films to examine how the passion of Jesus is presented within the process of social communication and which interpretation it is given. The decline of christian socialisation leads to rising importance of communication by media. Starting with the controversies about making films about the life of Jesus it will be shown, that the passion of Jesus as a central story of christianity can be told in this media, what should be observed from a theological point of view and the critical function of especially New Testament scholarship. The necessity of audiovisual presentation of the passion as well as its interpretation completed by preaching within the social context will be shown. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)