Impact of Theological Conception of Christ’s Sacrifice of Reconciliation in Sacred Hymns by Alessandro Manzoni and The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson

Svrha je ovoga članka promišljanje o Božjem povijesnom dolasku među ljude i dragovoljnom podvrgavanju patnji i smrti, začudnom događaju dohvatljivom isključivo očima vjere, mnogo puta pretočenom u raznovrsne umjetničke medije. U nastavku članka bit će istražen odraz ove temeljne vjerske istine na vjerničku i umjetničku svijest talijanskog romantičara Alessandra Manzonija u Svetim hvalospjevima (Inni sacri), kao i američkog redatelja Mela Gibsona u filmu Pasija (The Passion of the Christ), a njihove će osebujne vizije biti sagledane kroz prizmu katoličke teologije. Dok Manzonijeva umjetnička vizija ima za polazište teologiju satisfakcije sv. Anselma od Canterburyja, tijekom stoljeća obremenjenu iskrivljenim predodžbama kad je riječ o odnosu između božanskog milosrđa i pravde, te – unatoč tome – kulminira u pouzdanju u Božje milosrđe, naslućeno u dragovoljnom samopredanju, Gibsonov je vizualno-narativni stil tendenciozno prilagođen tradicionalnoj katoličkoj pasionskoj pobožnosti, uključujući i utjecaje mističke prakse razmatranja vlastite grešnosti naspram požrtvovne Božje ljubavi, promatrane u prolivenoj Krvi. U ključu teoloških soterioloških tumačenja, međutim, raskrinkava se opasnost iskliznuća u ritualizirani govor o potrebi krvavog zadovoljenja božanske pravde, kojim je promašen istinski smisao neopozive dobrohotnosti Božje ljubavi očitovane u kenotičnom samopredanju.This paper is concerned with God’s historical coming among humans, as well as His voluntary submission to suffering and death, a miraculous event conceivable only through faith, and often transposed to various artistic media. Further in the paper, this fundamental religious truth will be perceived as manifested in the minds of the Italian Romantic poet Alessandro Manzoni in his Sacred Hymns (Inni Sacri) and American director Mel Gibson in his film entitled The Passion of the Christ as both artists and Roman Catholic believers, whereas their unique artistic visions will be dealt with in the light of Catholic theology. While Manzoni’s artistic vision departs from the theological theory of satisfaction as developed by St. Anselm of Canterbury, albeit somewhat distorted in the passage of centuries insofar as burdened with misconceptions regarding the relation between God’s mercy and justice, culminating nevertheless in trust in God’s Mercy revealed in His voluntary self-abnegation, Gibson’s visual and narrative style tends to adhere to the traditional Catholic Passion piety, including influences of mystical meditation upon one’s own sinfulness when faced with God’s self-sacrificial love, recognised in His spilt Blood. However, when observed within the key of theological soteriological reflections, there exists a real danger of slipping into a ritualised discourse on the necessity of bloody satisfaction of divine justice, thereby missing the true meaning of the irrevocable benevolence of God’s love manifested in kenotic self-abnegation