The Passion Re-Cut: If It Is As It Was”, Why the Redaction?

Mel Gibson claimed that The Passion of the Christ (2004) was faithful to the gospels and that the gospels were faithful to history, a claim subsequently challenged and debated by many. This article seeks to examine Gibson\u27s claim in light of his decision to edit and re-release the movie as The Passion Re-Cut, arguing that, ironically, he is in fact doing precisely what the gospels writers did in the first century: adapting the story of Jesus and retelling it to a different audience. Further, by exploring the changes Gibson has made to the movie, and the new audience for whom he is writing, I hope to discover something of his purpose as gospel” writer and redactor