Rating: 
Summary: Amazing
Review: I found the book an amazing treasure and have read it twice; once before I saw Gibson's movie, and once after. It is a fantastic companion. I cannot recommend it enough. I find it even more amazing that the negative reviews, especially those who found the book anti-semitic, were written after the movie's opening (Feb. 25, 2004). I have to wonder if those reviewers have actually read the book. My guess is that they have not.
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: Impressive meditations of the Passion, but antisemitic
Review: I read this book since it is one of the sources of inspiration for Mr. Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, which I am going to see next. The meditations are remarkable in their content, both spiritually and picturally, if you close your eyes the book is a movie in itself. The geographic details are remarkable for accuracy (and yes, I have been there enough to testify). My huge problem with this book is its anti-semitic content, which contrasts with the sister Emmerich's deep adoration of Christ. Could that part be a change made by Clement
Brentano, the writer who arranged the text? I doubt. The worst example would be the following passage:
"I imagine I hear that frightful cry of the Jews, 'His blood be upon us, and upon our children,' visions of a wonderful and terrible description display before my eyes at the same moment the effect of that solemn curse. I fancy I see a gloomy sky covered with clouds, of the colour of blood, from which issue fiery swords and darts, lowering over the vociferating multitude; and this curse, which they have entailed upon
themselves, appears to me to penetrate even to the very marrow of their bones,--even to the unborn infants. They appear to me encompassed on all sides by darkness; the words they utter take, in my eyes, the form of black flames, which recoil upon them, penetrating the bodies of some, and only playing around others." There are other antisemitic passages; interestingly, the Romans were portrayed as a heterogenous group and the Jews were almost always homogenously sick minded.
While that might have been reasonable thinking in the early 19th century in Europe(well, later on,Adolf Hitler would have thought the above is a remarkable statement), it does not sound well today . This is why the book receives a 3 minus. Filter the evil out and you'll get a five-star description of the Passion.
Rating: 
Summary: The Dolorous Passion
Review: I was intrigued by the early life of St. Catherine Emmerich, especially where it is stated that ..."from her cradle she possessed the gift of distinguishing what was good or evil, holy or profane, blessed or accursed, in material as well as in spiritual things." In childhood she had the ability to distinguish between "useful herbs" and plants that were not conducive to good health.
When she was shown a relic of a saint, she knew what saint the relic belonged to and "could give not only accounts of the minutest and hitherto unknown particulars of their lives..."
As Catholics, we are not bound to believe in the private revelations of any saint. A revelation should conform to the teaching of Scripture and the Church, and not be devoid in matters of faith and morals.
I believe in the words of the author of the "Dolorous Passion", that God gave these meditations to St.Anne Catherine, because she was "at times simple, ingenuous, and ignorant as a child, while at others she was clear-sighted, sensible, possessed of a deep insight into the most mysterious and hidden things, and consumed with burning and heroic zeal, but ever forgetful of self, deriving her whole strength from Jesus alone, and steadfast in the most perfect humility and entire self abnegation."
With these God given credentials, How can we not love this book?
Rating:
Summary: Great book...
Review: If anyone found the book anti-Semitic...it's because they wanted
to find it...and are taking the material completely out of context. The fact is the Bible indicates that the religious hierarchy had a problem with Jesus...they felt threatened...and as a result...they had an agenda...to get rid of him...and went to the Romans. During this time... the Sanhedrin had great authority...while still being under Roman rule. The council consisted of 71 members...including both Pharisees and Sadducees...presided over by the chief priest. Looking back on history...understand that Pilate was called back
to Rome...two or three times...and warned for his behavior...they told him...that if they had to call him back again...he would have to answer to Caesar. Therefore, Pilate would wash his hands...in regards to Jesus. The religious hierarchy wanted him done with.....Pilate wanted to step back and say...hey...it wasn't me that did it...it was them. Emmerich even describes Pilate as being "hard-hearted" and "mean." In the end...the message is that we're all culpable in Jesus's death. Emmerich provides an emotional account...of what she allegedly witnessed. Perhaps...people take away what they want from material. The truth is...some people think the Christian Bible is anti-Semitic...and that's just absurd.
Rating: 
Summary: Fuel for the next holocaust?
Review: In general, the book deals very harshly with Jews collectively. It often describes Jewish mobs as "cruel," "wicked," or "hard-hearted," as in this chapter: "the sight of [Jesus'] sufferings, far from exciting a feeling of compassion in the hard-hearted Jews, simply filled them with disgust, and increased their rage. Pity was, indeed, a feeling unknown in their cruel breasts." Emmerich's visions include portrayal of Jewish high priests thirsting for Jesus' blood, bribing other Jews to demand Jesus' death, and directly supervising the construction of the cross in the Temple courtyard.
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.
|
