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FEB 2404 EXPERTS GATHER TO DISCUSS MEL GIBSON’S 'PASSION' rel


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH EXPERTS GATHER AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY IN LOS ANGELES TO DISCUSS MEL GIBSON'S 'PASSION'

March 3 Event Open To The Public

February 24, 2004 – As Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" approaches its scheduled release on February 25, Ash Wednesday, the controversy surrounding the film continues to grow. Experts from the Christian and Jewish communities will gather at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 3, for an evening of thought-provoking debate in the aftermath of the film's release.

The event, Crucifying Jesus, Jewish-Christian Relations, and Mel Gibson's "The Passion": Sacred Texts and their Contemporary Interpretations, is open to the public free of charge and will take place from 7:30 – 9:30 pm in Hilton 100.

The program will feature Jewish and Christian scholars in conversation about crucifixion, different Gospel accounts, contrasting historical understandings, and conflicting reactions regarding Christian faith and Jewish fears.
Panelists include:

  • Jeffrey Siker, professor and chair of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University
  • John Roth, Edward Sexton Professor of Philosophy and director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights at Claremont-McKenna College
  • Gary Gilbert, professor of Judaic studies at Claremont-McKenna College
  • Michael Berenbaum, director of the Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust at the University of Judaism
  • Lloyd Baugh, SJ, professor of Theology at the Gregorian University, Rome, and author of Imaging the Divine: Jesus and Christ-Figures in Film.

The event is the third in a series of thought-provoking panels that have taken place at the University of Judaism (Feb 10) and Claremont-McKenna College (Feb 24).

For questions or for further information, please contact Loyola Marymount University?s theological studies department at 310.338.7670. Media planning to attend the event should call 310.338.2389.

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