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Passion

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In Christianity, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ; more broadly, intense, compelling emotion or devotion.

Detailed Definition
The Passion narrative—from the Agony in the Garden to the Crucifixion—is central to Christian soteriology, representing the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's salvation. In a broader religious and poetic sense, passion denotes a powerful, all-consuming devotion, whether to God, a cause, or an ideal. Poets draw on both meanings: the pathos of Christ's suffering to explore themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption, and the concept of intense emotion to portray the fervor of the seeker's heart and the agony and ecstasy of divine love.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Christian poetry, Passion is Christ’s suffering and love: “Thorns, nails, cross—Passion where divine love bleeds”; In Sufi verse, Passion is longing for the Beloved: “My chest—a furnace—Passion burns names into ash”; In contemporary poetry, Passion is commitment: “Teaching in underfunded school—Passion as daily offering”; Poets distinguish Passion from emotion: “Not feeling, but fidelity—Passion endures when fire cools.”
Additional Notes
Passion (from Latin passio, “suffering”) specifically denotes Christ’s crucifixion but broadly conveys intense devotion; in mystical poetry, divine love is a “wound” that both pains and heals; the Passion narrative invites poets to explore vulnerability, sacrifice, and the paradox that love’s fullest expression may require surrender unto death.
Also Known As
Suffering of Christ The Passion Narrative Emotion Love Zeal grá Desire Fervor Lust
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