The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland has called on evangelicals to reject the movie because
the source of the film's script is not simply John's Gospel ... much of its content comes from a book called 'The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ' by an 18th century German nun, Anne Emmerich, who claimed to have had a vision of the passion of which her book purports to be an account.
In America, it
seems that evangelicals are mostly willing to overlook these issues because they believe the movie provides them with a chance to spread the faith.
William Imes, president of the Bangor Theological Seminary, explained that the movie may appeal to evangelicals because its message of redemption crosses barriers between Catholics and Protestants.
"Historically, evangelicals and Catholics have been very wary of each other," Imes said. "The wariness is particularly strong on the evangelical side . . . Here's a chance to lift up the basic message - that Jesus died for your sins."
