The Bible Societies' Passion for The Passion by Bible Network News Staff with files from the United Bible Societies
The Passion has been a catalyst for Bible distribution.
READING, England, April 22, 2004 — Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is inspiring people to get into God's Word, and Bible Societies worldwide are helping them.
The Passion film phenomenon
The Passion, already the #1 R-rated film and #1 non-English film of all time, has now grossed more than $361.5 million US in North American theatres since its opening on Ash Wednesday (February 25), and is closing in on The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King for #6 on the all time domestic box office gross chart. It is expected to reach the $400 million plateau before it is through. It has also taken in an additional $187 million worldwide.
According to a recent poll on the independent, multi-faith website, Beliefnet.com, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is moving people to get back into God's Word. Of the more than 12,000 people who took the poll between March 5 and 25, 62% responded 'yes' to the question, "Are you reading the Bible more as a result of the movie The Passion of the Christ?" About 41% reported a more positive view of the Bible as a result of the film versus only 1% who had a more negative view of the Christian Scriptures (53% reported no change in their views and 5% said they weren't sure). Three quarters of respondents believed the film to be "very close" to the biblical account of Jesus' death, while 15% felt it was "somewhat close" and only 5% believed it to be "not close at all".
With the film generating great interest in Scripture, Bible Societies worldwide have been building upon that interest in their attempts to reach all people with God's Word.
United States
On its website, the American Bible Society (ABS) hails The Passion as a "landmark tool for education and outreach about the importance of Jesus and the power of the Gospel stories to impact lives."
ABS President, Dr. Eugene Habecker adds that he was "personally and profoundly affected" by watching The Passion of the Christ. "It enabled me to encounter Scripture and the life of Jesus in palpable new ways," he says.
The Society gave away 8,000 free tickets to the film to churches, para-church organisations and community groups in New York City, with its advertising campaign for the promotion generating more demand than there were tickets to meet it. Along with the tickets, ABS provided a Scripture Portion entitled The Life of Christ, featuring Luke's Gospel, a reading plan, review questions, a glossary of terms and background articles.
ABS also arranged to take more than a hundred young people and social workers from within New York's Juvenile Justice System to see the film and, in conjunction with Campus Crusade for Christ, has also invited students from "troubled" high schools to see it.
The Society has also created numerous web-based resources, including reviews of and reflections on the film to address questions and concerns people may have after seeing it.
Northern Ireland
The Bible Society in Northern Ireland has added a special section to its website in relation to the film. For the benefit of people who have seen the film it offers a four-part menu to help them reflect on it. Things To Talk About, and Things To Ask Yourself, are designed for group and individual use, respectively, Jesus in the Gospels demonstrates how the film draws from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and Information for the Churches advertises a range of Gospels and New Testaments available from the Bible Society for filmgoers who want to know more.
Spain
The Bible Society of Spain is publishing a special edition of Matthew's Gospel including full-colour stills from The Passion of the Christ plus a leaflet explaining Christ's sacrifice - again with illustrations from the film.
Italy
The Bible Society in Italy's website acknowledges the full range of reactions to the film, and sets out the complete story of the Passion from the Gospels in Italian "in order to offer everyone the possibility of a direct encounter with its sources and their message, hoping that reading it will prompt reflection and meditation rather than visceral emotions."
Egypt
A Selection prepared by the Bible Society of Egypt (BSE) entitled He Suffered for Us, has an introduction describing the various reactions to the film, followed by biblical passages and prophecies concerning Christ's suffering.
Lebanon and Jordan
In Lebanon, more than 50,000 people attending the film in Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon and Zahle were provided with a 64-page pocket size publication, The Passion of the Christ: Gospel of John, with a further 10,000 copies being sent to Jordan for filmgoers there.
Singapore
The Bible Society of Singapore has a special Scripture Portion in production based on the Gospel of Luke and incorporating images from the film. The Society intends to use it to promote awareness of the movie and to "bring the life of Christ to the attention of individuals who have seen the movie and would like to find out more."
The Society has also dedicated a section of its website to The Passion of the Christ, incorporating stills from the film and relevant articles.
Philippines
The Philippine Bible Society has published a Scripture Selection called The Cross of Christ for distribution in cinemas showing The Passion of the Christ and in other venues in partnership with churches, parishes and Christian organisations.
Australia
Working with Mel Gibson's company, Icon Productions, the Bible Society in Australia (BSIA) did extensive publicity work for The Passion prior to the film's release. Wishing to ensure that non-Christians who view the film also have a chance to 'read the book', the Society has prepared a pocket-sized Movie Review Edition of Mark's Gospel.
In Queensland, an eight-page souvenir programme was designed using images from the film to highlight quotations from the Gospels. The programme was given away free to each person buying a ticket at a Hoyts box office.
A 30-second promotional film has also been screened prior to The Passion itself in many cinemas in Queensland. The promotion features footballers and the runner-up in the recent Australian Idol television series talking about the impact of the film and urging people to read the Bible to discover the story behind it. The celebrities also direct people to a special website developed by the BSIA in partnership with several other agencies. The website has attracted millions of hits from people wanting to know more about the film and its message.
