I’ll pull an O’Reilly here and start off this post with talking points re/That Movie.

1. On this blog at least, loving this film is not required. It’s a movie, it’s not the Gospel. There are thousands of pictorial depictions of Jesus’ Passion, many musical settings of it and even a few dramatic presentations. They are of varying quality and suited for different tastes. Same with this.

2. On this blog, at least, no human being work is completely beyond the possibility of critical appraisal, and that includes Mel Gibson. Reading some of the comments around the Catholic blogosphere, you get the idea that there are two people whose actions are beyond criticism, and no, one of them is not the Pope. They are President Bush and Mel Gibson.

3. It is possible to at once, appreciate the spiritual power of a film and the work and conviction that went into it, yet at the same time point out its limitations. Because no single human creation can accomplish everything or contain the entire Gospel. It’s – okay.

4. Concern about what this film communicates about the Jewish people is not unreasonable at all. Passion Plays have, throughout history, been highly expressive of certain community’s anti-Semitism. Jews have been persecuted in the context of cultures that identified themselves as Christian, frequently throughout history. What does strike me as unreasonable, is for Christian leaders to focus on that at the exclusion of the other levels at which viewers will respond to the film.

(And if you see that happening – that last point – I’d like to suggest a reason why. It’s because reissuing statements is a lot easier than responding to the heartfelt yearning of a moved, inspired viewer, who comes to you saying, “I want to know more about this Jesus. Help me meet him and get to know him more deeply. I know what I saw means something, because it makes me feel as if my life is not about what I thought it was. Tell me more.”)