The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

What It's About

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ presents a minutely detailed, chapter-by-chapter account of the Last Supper, Christ's arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial. It is drawn from the visions reported by Anne Catherine Emmerich, a bedridden German nun and stigmatic, and was recorded, arranged and published by the poet Clemens Brentano in 1833. Rather than a theological commentary, it reads as an eyewitness-style narrative, filling in physical, emotional and sensory detail that goes far beyond the Gospel accounts.

Key Concepts

The book is built on the idea of mystical vision as a devotional aid: Emmerich claimed to witness the events of the Passion directly, and her descriptions of the scourging, the crown of thorns, the road to Calvary and the crucifixion are extraordinarily specific, including details (such as the exact construction of the cross and the number of wounds) not found in Scripture. This extra-biblical specificity has made the work controversial among scholars, who debate how much reflects Emmerich's own visions versus Brentano's literary embellishment during compilation. Despite this, the book has remained influential in Catholic devotional practice and was a major source for Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.

About the Author

Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824) was a German Augustinian nun known as a mystic, visionary and stigmatic. Born into a poor farming family in Westphalia, she entered the convent at Dülmen in 1802 and later experienced the stigmata along with visions of the life and Passion of Christ. Bedridden in her final years, she was visited and interviewed at length by Clemens Brentano, whose notes formed the basis of this and other posthumously published works. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004.