Rating: 
Summary: Grotesque & Disturbing Yet Brilliant
Review: 'The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ' was mandatory reading during my studies last year, and with every new meditation or chapter it became both startling, and disturbing. If not for the fact that it depicts in the finest of detail the sufferings of the one many believe to be the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, then for the fact that this is the only known full length work by a stigmatist. In this case one, Anne Catherine Emmerich.It's hard for me to imagine the suffering that Sister Emmerich endured throughout her life, and particularly while having these visions (some of them are described in the book's introduction, which is a concise biography of Sister Emmerich) yet I can feel the passion in which she endured them with every word that is in this book. I guess it shouldn't come as a shock that it was this book that influenced Mel Gibson to make his controversial film, 'The Passion of the Christ'. Whether you believe in the divinity of Christ, or not (I personally don't) one can't help but be moved by the sufferings in which he endured -- described here in the finest and most grotesque of detail -- for simply teaching a doctrine which was opposed not only by the Roman Empire, but by the very people he hoped to enlighten. A powerful MUST read.
Rating: 
Summary: Devotion. Imagination.
Review: Anne Catherine Emmerich has been beatified by Pope John Paul II. This is one more step on the road to being declared a saint in the Catholic Church.
The book isn't necessarily an accurate transcription of her visions. Her visions are not necessarily a form of communication from God, nor do they necessarily originate in her own imagination exclusively.
I think the book works wonderfully as a speculative and dramatic account as filtered through the experience of a 19th century German mystic nun. What annoys some other reviewers - the quirks in the style and the anachronisms - I think they are reminders that this isn't well-researched historical fiction nor it is a work of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit - it's in its own category.
4 rather than 5 stars because I believe that one should read the Bible and non-fiction accounts about life in the Holy Land first so they get a good background before picking up the Dolorous Passion.
Rating:
Summary: deepens ones devotion of the Passion of Jesus
Review: I absolutely loved this book!! Can't recommend it enough for those wanting to grow deeper in devotion to our Lord's Passion. A must read!! It really deepened my Love for Jesus.
Rating:
Summary: Profound Truth
Review: I have never read such a profoundly beautiful explanation of such a horrendous event of history. The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ answers numerous questions that I have had all my life regarding Jesus' terrible suffering and death. For the first time I see where Our Blessed Mother was and what she was doing during this most heart wrenching experience of watching her son suffer. The book is a beatiful gift of intimate facts given to the reader despite the anguish it brings out. The details in this story are so helpful in our salvation that no one could walk away without considering their relationship with Our Lord and desiring to improve it. This book has definitely brought me closer to Jesus and His Holy Mother. In addition, I see that it reaffirms the unfolding of events in my own life's trials as indicated in my book "Charlie's Touchdown", which I highly recommend as well (see reviews).
Rating: 
Summary: Seemed rather silly to me.
Review: I read about 1/3 of this book. I read what I did because I liked the Mel Gibson movie so much. The woman did have a vivid imagination and I can see that she was useful to Gibson for visual details to fill in parts of the script where the Gospels were silent. Many of the scenes with the Virgin gained visually because of this book. (I especially like the one where after the flogging, the Virgin and the Magdalene mop the up the blood). However, this book is not scripture and it is a shame to take what went on Emmerich's imagination as being as valid as what is in the Bible. After all, she lived 1800 years later and is not exactly an eyewitness. I would recommend reading the Gospels carefully instead of concentrating too much on this book. If you like a more sensible semi-imaginary treatment of the Passion, which is very interesting and a little less overblown, you might try The Day Christ Died, by Jim Bishop. You might also try reading The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglass and Quo Vadis, by Sienkiewicz, which are good books as well as good movies.
Just a note: I didn't find any anti-Semitism in this book. I dislike prejudice in any form very much and take it quite seriously, but have been quite disgusted at the way that people who clearly only want to attack Christianity have been using the cry of anti-Semitism as a way to attack anything to do with the movie. It is dangerous to cry wolf, and I think that such people are hurting Jews in the long run as many will take legitimate complaints about anti-Semitism much less seriously after this ridiculous display of over-sensitivity. I also think that Jews will end up taking the brunt of this, although many of the people crying anti-Semitism (and actually the people who started making the noise) are actually not Jewish; they are liberal and secular 'Christian' scholars.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read!
Review: I read this book prior to seeing the movie 'The Passion.' It definitely enlightened me to be prepared for the movies depiction of the last 12 hours of Christs life. Tears came to my eyes both in reading the book and seeing the 'Passion' movie. Anne Catherine Emmerich is not recognized as she should be.... she suffered much for many souls and has been gifted with the ability to share what God allowed her to see and have written about. This book truly brings your life's ambitions into perspective. We need to continually ask ourselves if what we are doing everyday glorifying God or us! This book is worth reading and sharing, especially for those who want to learn more about how much Jesus loves us all. God Bless!
Rating:
Summary: seeing light through a glass darkly
Review: Keeping in mind that visions are seen by mystics in many ways, and that they are not always clear, in sequence, or well translated into words, this is a remarkable document of what this devout Agustinian nun saw for many of the 50 years of her life. Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) stated repeatedly of her visions, which were recorded for this book during a seven week period in 1823 by her friend Clement Brentano, that there were details she could not remember, or "what I have not forgotten I cannot find words to express", and in another, "I saw nothing distinctly". I think this lends credibility to what she did say, in that she did not fabricate to "fill in the holes" of her visions. Another thing to remember is that it must have been as difficult to describe events 1800 years in the past, in ancient Judea, as it would have been to go 200 years into the future; how would she have explained a television or the Los Angeles freeway system ? Sister Emmerich's visions give tremendous insight into the last hours of Jesus, especially the agony at Gethsemane. As Oswald Chambers would point out in his writings, that Gethsemane should be viewed "in light of His earlier wilderness temptation-'...the devil...departed from Him until an opportune time' (Luke 4:13)". Here our Lord confronts Satan in the garden, and he also sees His future Church, "They had weathercocks on their roofs, and their doctrines changed with the wind" (pg.111). Part I is a short biography of Sister Emmerich, of whom much calumny has been spread in recent months by professional hatemongers who crave the media spotlight, because these writings inspired a few scenes in Mel Gibson's film "The Passion", but one should consider the source when listening to them.
Part II is the preparation for Passover and The Last Supper, and Part III, which is the bulk of the book, The Passion. There are three final chapters that deal with the Resurrection, and an appendix on Longinus (whose lance pierced the Lord's side), and Abenadar, the centurion who was later known as St. Ctesiphon. Sister Emmerich had many rich descriptions of the central figures connected with the Passion; of Pilate she saw him as a weak, undecided and despicable character, who would do any unjust act "provided it answered his ends"..."his sole desire was to entail no risk upon himself"; she also not only saw into the past, but into other realms, like Satan taunting Judas, and the angels ministering to Jesus, and of corrupt Christians of the "first and all succeeding ages, even to the end of the world".
I think these writings illuminate Bible study and one's walk with the Lord, and are of great value, but probably more to Christians already fairly well versed in scripture, otherwise they might create more confusion than clarity.
Rating:
Summary: It was...interesting
Review: Not to say I don't like this book, but it had many major flaws. Now, I realize that it is supposedly a compilation of visions received by the German nun Anne Catherine Emmerich. However, there were some major historical flaws in it that ruined it for me. I was almost ready to believe it. I mean, it is so detailed and the way Emmerich described the people in it is so lifelike. However, the historical inaccuracies and frequent signs of anti-Semitism forced me to realize that (in my opinion) it is nothing more than a novel.
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Summary: Focusing on Our Lord's Passion Will Get You to Heaven
Review: Some Catholic Mystics (Saints) teach us that focusing on Jesus' Passion and Death will get you to heaven. This book walks you through our Lord's agony, step by step. After I read it, I was left with the picture of a Person who was literally skinned alive through scourging, and His Head was crowned with thorns and then The Body finally nailed to a cross, you get a little idea of what HE suffered "for us" physically. There were also mental and spiritual torments in addition to His physical sufferings. This book is for those who really want to grow spiritually and can face what He went through for us. The author was a nun who received only 2 months worth of visions depicting Christ's crucifixion and suffering. This book is well worth reading and contemplating.
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Summary: Our Own Passion
Review: The revelations that our Lord Jesus Christ allowed to the Venerable [soon to be saint] Anna Katharina Emmerich provides the reader with as close an insight as possible of what our Lord and Saviour did for all of us...by his dying in the cross is that we live...something that more times than none we seem to forget by the actions we follow in our daily life. I can only hope that my brothers and sisters in Christ, once they read this book, go out and spread the word of the greatest sacrifice of all times....he died for us, for our sins. The writings of Anna will bring a more closer relationship with our saviour. Read the book, its wonderfull. I cannot recommended enough. May God Bless you all.
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