'Heresy' of female Jesus divides Italian town

Telegraph
By Bruce Johnston in Rome
(Filed: 13/03/2005)

On Good Friday, after night has fallen on the medieval Umbrian town of Alviano, the crowds flock to a spellbinding re-enactment of the Passion of Christ.

From the ancient piazza they watch as the bare-chested actor playing Jesus, head crowned with thorns, is tied to a cross 35ft above the ground, fixed to the ramparts of the 15th-century castle.

This year, however, the figure spotlit on the cross will be a woman - a 29-year-old ballerina named Elena Angeli - who was cast by the play's director, Corrado Sorbara, to show the "other, feminine side of Christ".

His controversial decision has split the town in two. While elderly residents talk of heresy and blasphemy, prompting the mayor to call for the play to be scrapped, younger people support Mr Sorbara's choice.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/13/wrome13.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/13/ixworld.html

about the feminine side of Jesus, they wouldn't discriminate against women.

God and Jesus are black!B-)

...Jesus was a white male Ted Nugent impersonator. You can see his picture in most Bibles, right?

indeed.

.....Mr Sorbara, who describes himself as a fervent Catholic, said that he had not meant his casting to be provocative, but had merely been following the scriptures.

"The dignity of the woman is the purposeful expression of God which she has inherited from her creator," he said. "Bible experts and even the Pope are on my side

Actually, I'm all for the parthogenesis explanation.

caste members of religion. Up until the last century women
could not be priests in Christan religious ceremonies, although
they could in Pagan ceremonies, and women were not allowed to
set foot on the altar of a Catholic Church during a mass.

they did Romeo and Juliet with exchanged genders?

To me the two situations are pretty much the same.. :-)

...can you imagine what the reaction right here would be if a drama performed for MLK Day had featured an Asian-American, Latino, or Native American playing Dr. King?

they'll be saying Jesus was a JEW!

Jesus as a woman? They may as well have cast a hog or an ass in the role! Nothing could be lower than a WOMAN, for Christsake!

marble, or other materials since it is ok for those items to portray him?