ion . ▁Both ▁De asy ▁and ▁Staff ord - Cl ark ▁looked ▁to ▁em ulate ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁The ▁G ospel ▁According ▁to ▁St . ▁Matthew ▁( P ier ▁Paolo ▁Pas ol ini , ▁ 1 9 6 4 ) ▁over ▁The ▁Pass ion ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ▁( M el ▁Gib son , ▁ 2 0 0 4 ). ▁De asy ▁had ▁walked ▁out ▁of ▁The ▁Pass ion ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ▁after ▁ 2 0 ▁minutes ▁because ▁it ▁" dra ined ▁the ▁spiritual ity ▁of ▁Jesus ". ▁Jesus ▁of ▁Naz are th ▁had ▁opposite ▁effect ▁on ▁him , ▁in ▁that ▁he ▁believed ▁Franco ▁Ze ff ire l li ' s ▁version ▁was ▁too ▁spiritual . ▁In ▁his ▁version , ▁De asy ▁wanted ▁to ▁" draw ▁Jesus ▁down ▁into ▁the ▁world ▁more ▁as ▁a ▁human ▁character ▁who ▁is ▁fr ustr ated , ▁angry , ▁fear ful ▁and ▁doubt ful , ▁and ▁who ▁doesn ' t ▁have ▁what ▁is ▁almost ▁a ▁mask ▁of ▁human ity , ▁but ▁is ▁truly ▁human ." ▁De asy ▁and ▁Staff ord - Cl ark ▁formed ▁a ▁development ▁team , ▁bringing ▁on ▁religion ▁scholar ▁Dr ▁Mark ▁Good acre ▁and ▁the ▁BBC ' s ▁head ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁eth ics , ▁Michael ▁W ak elin . ▁T ogether , ▁they ▁prepared ▁a ▁research ▁manual ▁containing ▁as ▁much ▁information ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁find ▁about ▁Jerusalem , ▁first - century ▁l ifest yles , ▁and ▁the ▁g osp els . ▁ ▁Following ▁his ▁appointment ▁as ▁writer , ▁De asy ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁research