In early March of 2004, I gave a lecture at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta on the pricing of eidolothuton, ‘idol meat’, in which I tried to demonstrate that an important passage from First Corinthians could be illuminated by reference to evidence in a late antique source about Roman sacrificial practice. The talk was received politely, even though not everyone was persuaded by it – my use of classical material did not really square with the traditional outlines of Pauline scholarship – and I got the strong sense that there were certain disciplinary boundaries one was not encouraged to cross. Whatever their justifiable reaction might have been to my argument, however, my hosts were warm and friendly. An enjoyable reception and dinner followed, but because it was a Monday, everybody was understandably eager to bring the evening to an early conclusion. There was teaching to be done the next day, and meetings and the full range of activities that keep the schedules of busy academics overstuffed with commitments. I was dropped off at the tasteful guesthouse downtown which they had set up for me and, because there was no TV in the room, I decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood to pass the time before going to bed. A used book store nearby kept me busy for an hour or so before it closed, and on the way back to the hotel, I passed by the Lefont Plaza Theatre, which was advertising on its marquee a 9:45 PM screening of The Passion of the Christ.

Mel Gibson’s controversial film had been released less than a week before, on Ash Wednesday, and its opening weekend box office had been impressive, close to $84 million. More impressive had been the critical reaction.