Editing Passion Play (section)

==Antisemitism in Passion plays==
Many Passion Plays historically blamed the Jews for [[Jewish deicide|the death of Jesus]] in a [[polemic]]al fashion, depicting a crowd of Jewish people condemning Jesus to [[crucifixion]] and a Jewish leader assuming eternal [[collective guilt]] for the crowd for the murder of Jesus, which, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' explains, "for centuries prompted vicious attacks – or [[pogrom]]s – on Europe's Jewish communities".<ref name=Sennott>Sennott, Charles M. [https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/04/10/in_poland_new_passion_plays_on_old_hatreds/ "In Poland, new 'Passion' plays on old hatreds"], ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', 10 April 2004.</ref> ''[[Time Magazine|Time]]'' magazine in its article, ''The Problem With Passion'', explains that "such passages (are) highly subject to interpretation".<ref name=Biema>Van Biema, David. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051031060141/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030901-477956,00.html "The Problem With Passion"]}}, ''[[Time Magazine]]'', 25 August 2003.</ref>

Although modern scholars interpret the "blood on our children" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|27:25}}) as "a specific group's oath of responsibility"{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} some audiences have historically interpreted it as "an assumption of eternal, racial guilt". This last interpretation has often incited violence against Jews; according to the [[Anti-Defamation League]], "Passion plays historically unleashed the torrents of hatred aimed at the Jews, who always were depicted as being in partnership with the devil and the reason for Jesus' death".<ref name=Foxman>[[Abraham Foxman|Foxman, Abraham H.]] [http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Interfaith/oped_2004012_pbp.htm "'Passion' Relies on Theme of antisemitism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203084341/http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Interfaith/oped_2004012_pbp.htm |date=3 December 2008 }}, ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]'', 25 January 2004.</ref> The ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'', in its article, ''Capturing the Passion'', explains that "historically, productions have reflected negative images of Jews and the long-time church teaching that the Jewish people were [[collective guilt|collectively responsible]] for Jesus' death. Violence against Jews as 'Christ-killers' often flared in their wake."<ref name=Lampman>Lampman, Jane. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0710/p11s01-lire.html?entryBottomStory "Capturing the Passion"], ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'', 10 July 2003.</ref> ''[[Christianity Today]]'' in ''Why some Jews fear The Passion (of the Christ)'' observed that "Outbreaks of Christian antisemitism related to the Passion narrative have been...numerous and destructive."<ref name=Hansen>Hansen, Colin. [http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2004/feb20.html "Why some Jews fear ''The Passion''"], ''[[Christianity Today]]'', 2004.</ref>

Some of the oldest currently-running passion plays have had to reckon with past polemic portrayals of Jews in the work. The [[Oberammergau Passion Play]] is an especially notable example. First performed in 1634, the play continues to run today. In its original incarnation, the play relied upon the [[Antisemitic canard]] that Jews bore greater responsibility than any other group in the killing of Christ. It utilizes juxtaposition between pure Christians and wicked Jews in order to portray a greater battle between fundamental good versus evil.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mork|first=Gordon|date=Winter 1985|title=The Oberammergau Passion Play and Modern Anti-Semitism|journal=Shofar|volume=3|issue=2|pages=52–61|jstor=42940679}}</ref>

Hitler attended the Passion Play in Oberammergau twice and praised it for its convincing portrayal of "the menace of Jewry".[1] Although he praised the Passion Play, he also derided Christianity. According to Alan Bullock, writing in [[Hitler: A Study in Tyranny]], Hitler saw Christianity as a religion fit only for slaves, and its teaching as a rebellion against the natural law of selection by struggle of the fittest. Following the events of World War II and the explicit support of Adolf Hitler for the play, several reforms and modifications were made. In the last few decades, it has revised its script and performance with the help of representatives from Jewish organizations.<ref>James Shapiro, Oberammergau: The Troubling Story of the World's Most Famous Passion Play' (Little, Brown & Company, 2000)</ref>

While Oberammergau is perhaps the most famous example, this was not the only instance of Anti-Semitism or Anti-Semitic rhetoric in a Passion Play. The [[Towneley Mystery Plays]], also known as the Wakefield Mystery Plays, also featured Anti-Semitic imagery, and ran from the late Middle Ages until 1578. It is believed to be one of the earliest and most explicit portrayals of [[Pontius Pilate]] as a king or a Jew (and sometimes as king of the Jews) in theatre (although this tradition had already become well-established [[Medieval antisemitism|in paintings and other visual media by this point]]). Through these stylings, the Jews are further implicated in the killing of Christ as being both the judge and the jury. This consistent rendering was emulated throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages, and is perpetuated in subtler forms even today.<ref>{{Cite book|date=2009-12-01|title=Pontius Pilate, anti-Semitism, and the Passion in medieval art}}</ref>

In 1965, a Vatican declaration titled [[Nostra Aetate]] held that the crucifixion could not be blamed on the Jewish people, whether they were living in the first century or born after the death of Christ.

The [[Religion Newswriters Association]] observed that
<blockquote>"in Easter 2001, three incidents made national headlines and renewed [Jewish and Christian leaders'] fears. One was a column by [[Paul Weyrich]], a conservative Christian leader and head of the Free Congress Foundation, who argued that "Christ was crucified by the Jews." Another was sparked by comments from the NBA point guard and born-again Christian [[Charlie Ward]], who said in an interview that Jews were persecuting Christians and that Jews "had his [Jesus'] blood on their hands." Finally, the evangelical Christian comic strip artist [[Johnny Hart]] published a B.C. strip that showed a [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] disintegrating until it became a cross, with each panel featuring the last words of Jesus, including "[[Sayings of Jesus on the cross#Father forgive them2C for they know not what they do|Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do]]{{Broken anchor|date=2025-05-20|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Sayings of Jesus on the cross#Father forgive them2C for they know not what they do|reason= }}".<ref name=religionlink>[http://www.religionlink.org/tip_040120a.php "'Passion' plays out locally"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013002757/http://www.religionlink.org/tip_040120a.php |date=13 October 2008 }} February 17, 2004</ref>
</blockquote>

On 16 November 1998, Church Council of [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] similarly adopted a resolution prepared by its Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations urging any Lutheran church presenting a Passion Play to adhere to their ''Guidelines for Lutheran-Jewish Relations'', stating that "the New Testament . . . must not be used as justification for hostility towards present-day Jews," and that "blame for the death of Jesus should not be attributed to Judaism or the Jewish people."<ref>Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Inter-Religious-Relations/Christian-Jewish-Relations/Guidelines.aspx "Guidelines for Lutheran-Jewish Relations"] 16 November 1998</ref><ref>World Council of Churches [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/cd33-23.html "Guidelines for Lutheran-Jewish Relations"] in [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/cd33-01.html Current Dialogue, Issue 33] July 1999</ref>

In 2003 and 2004 some people compared [[Mel Gibson]]'s film ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' to these kinds of Passion Plays, but this characterization is hotly disputed; an analysis of that topic is in the article on [[The Passion of the Christ]].

Modern Passion Plays and contemporary re-tellings of the Passion story place greater emphasis on the Biblical account which tells a more complex story. Rather than isolating Jewish people as responsible for the death of [[Jesus|Christ]], the Bible reminds readers that Jesus was Jewish and his many supporters, friends and family were Jewish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who Killed Jesus? The Historical Context of Jesus' Crucifixion |url=https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-killed-jesus-the-historical-context-of-jesus-crucifixion |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=Zondervan Academic |language=en}}</ref> Furthermore, the Bible alludes to the complex political, social and religious reasons that led both Roman and Jewish people to demand that Jesus be crucified.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC – The Passion – Articles – The Passion from a Jewish perspective |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/thepassion/articles/jewish_perspective.shtml |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Modern Passion Plays are supported in their endeavour to address historical prejudices and crimes against Jewish people by the work of many organisations that seek ([[Christian-Jewish reconciliation|Christian-Jewish Reconciliation]]). For example, in 1947, the [[International Council of Christians and Jews]] (ICCJ) explored the relationship basis of Christianity and antisemitism and in 2002, the Christian Scholars group issued "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130624181714/http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/ecumenical-christian/568-csg-02sep1 A Sacred Obligation: Rethinking Christian Faith in Relation to Judaism and the Jewish People]}}".

The work of the [[American Jewish Committee]], a leading global Jewish advocacy organization, and the [[Anti-Defamation League]] in changing the historical abuses of the Oberammergau play has provided greater awareness<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-13 |title=Oberammergau Passion Play: Resources {{!}} AJC |url=https://www.ajc.org/OberammergauPassionPlay/Resources |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=www.ajc.org |language=en}}</ref> and understanding for future Passion Plays to learn from.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Problem with Passion Plays |url=https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/2003/04/the-problem-with-passion-plays.aspx |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=www.beliefnet.com |language=en}}</ref>

A recent statement on the website of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation (CJCUC) in Israel is described by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz as 'the most profoundly Jewish-centered interfaith documents ever to be released'.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-03 |title=Towards Jewish-Christian Reconciliation & Partnership |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/towards-jewish-christian-reconciliation_b_9133926 |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> Writing in the [[HuffPost|Huff Post]], he quotes its opening lines "We seek to do the will of our Father in Heaven by accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers and sisters. Jews and Christians must work together as partners to address the moral challenges of our era".