Mel Gibson's Icon Productions...

In an earlier post, I wrote:

When Mr. Gibson makes a celluloid icon and calls Christians to express their devotion to the Lord Jesus by venerating that icon, Mr. Gibson is doing precisely what we reformed folks have accused his communion of doing for almost five hundred years, now--he is being an orthodox Roman Catholic encouraging the veneration of images of God.

To which another World blogger, Dean Abbott, responded:

When and where, exactly, did Mr. Gibson call Christians to express their devotion to the Lord Jesus by venerating that icon?

There is no citation because I'm not quoting Gibson on this, but only summarizing what is self-evident concerning his motivation in making The Passion of the Christ: this movie is an act of religious devotion to Jesus and the Virgin Mary and through this, his celluloid medium, Gibson is calling his viewers to the same devotion.

Take a look at the name and opening graphic for Gibson's production company, Icon Productions.

Exposing myself to the charge of half-heartedness, I explicitly chose not to use the word 'worship,' but instead 'venerate.' This was intended to be an act of charity directed towards Roman Catholics who, with men such as Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, wish to posit a distinction between the two. Responding to the question, "Do Catholics Really Worship The Virgin Mary?" Archbishop Sheehan writes:

Catholics, since the early days of the church, have made a distinction between the honor we call adoration or worship, which is given only to God, and the honor we call veneration, which is given to Mary and the saints. Christians have venerated Mary since the third century because she is the Mother of Jesus; she is found in the Bible numerous times; and, she is the best example we could have of a person of faith and grace.

To which our own reformed, protestant fathers respond:

There is no need of refuting the foolish fancy of some, that all sculptures and pictures are here condemned by Moses, for he had no other object than to rescue God's glory from all the imaginations which tend to corrupt it.... Some expound the words, 'Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven image, which thou mayest adore;' as if it were allowable to make a visible image of God, provided it be not adored; but the expositions which will follow will easily refute their error. Meanwhile, I do not deny that these things are to be taken connectedly, since superstitious worship is hardly ever separated from the preceding error; for as soon as any one has permitted himself to devise an image of God, he immediately falls into false worship.

-John Calvin's Comment on Ex. 20:4-6; Deut. 5:8-10; Harmony of the Last Four Books of Moses, p. 108.

And it is to be observed, that the thing forbidden is likeness, whether sculptured or otherwise. This disposes of the frivolous precaution taken by the Greek Church. They think they do admirably, because they have no sculptured shape of Deity, while none go greater lengths in the licentious use of pictures. The Lord, however, not only forbids any image of himself to be erected by a statuary, but to be formed by any artist whatever, because every such image is sinful and insulting to his majesty.

-John Calvin's Institutes I.xi.4

It is not lawful to have pictures of Jesus Christ, because his divine nature cannot be pictured at all, and because his body, as it is now glorified, cannot be pictured as it is, and because, if it do not stir up devotion, it is in vain; if it do stir up devotion, it is a worshipping by an image or picture, and so a palpable breach of the second commandment.

-Thomas Vincent's Exposition of the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism.

As the dust of controversy surrounding this film settles (and I don't mean the pseudo-controversy of the holocaust industry's quite spurious claim that Gibson and his film are anti-Semitic, but the real historic controversy between Roman Catholics and Protestants concerning the nature and meaning of the Second of the Ten Commandments), I remain convinced that most pious believers are, in fact, worshipping during their viewing of this movie--whether they recognize and acknowledge it or not.

Gibson is an extraordinary artist and has been successful in his work.

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Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Para # 1674:

Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.

Film critic Homer Yen on The Passion of the Christ:

Never in recent history has so much scrutiny and buzz simultaneously been lathered onto a film as The Passion of the Christ. It is clear that this film wants to venerate this King of Jews, the bread of life, and the Son of God.