Consuming Passion

de Simon Barrow

Why did Jesus die? What does it mean to say that 'he suffered for our sins'? Many believers have seriously misconstrued the central beliefs and narratives of Christian talk about the death of Jesus and how this offers hope and life to the world. This matters a great deal, whether you are a Christian or not, because theories of religious conviction that depend upon dividing the world into victim and victimiser - and using the language, assumptions and tactics of the victimiser - are positively dangerous. They lead to suffering, torture and death, both physically and psychologically. Consuming Passion will help both individuals and small groups understand and participate in the lively current debate about the meaning of the cross and the atonement. In a provocative series of reflections the contributors challenge the theology implicit in much evangelical and catholic teaching, and exemplified by Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ.