The History of the Sacred Passion

The History of the Sacred Passion (also known as The Sacred Passion) by Luis de la Palma (Spain, 1559-1641) was first published in 1624 in Spain, and has been a steady and continuous resource in the 400 years since. It is one of the most influential theological yet accessible reflections on Our Lord’s suffering and death and guides the reader into a historical, spiritual and at the same time practical exploration of the week leading up to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death and burial.

This edition presents de la Palma’s classic work for the first time in a clear and improved format in english. Using various enhancements, it brings it closer to the 21st century reader by making its narrative easier to read and follow, but without changing the excellent and enduring 1872 english translation by Henry James Coleridge (save in a very few instances when recourse has had to be made to the spanish original in order to render its proper essence to today’s audience).

For example:

- latin texts have been maintained and presented in such a way that they are unobtrusive (in the ebook version, they are shown in red; in the print, in a distinct typeface) and allow the reader to more easily advance and effectively follow the overall narrative;

- latin texts originally without english translation, or whose meaning cannot be directly discerned from the contextual english text, have been translated, with the english translation presented between curly brackets;

- various english words have been shown in a more relatable spelling where the original might today be confusing;

- its chapters have been conveniently separated into sub-chapters with headings, following La Palma’s original, to facilitate a more comfortable reading;

- praise for La Palma’s work has been sourced from the 17th century through to the 20th and presented in the early pages;

- typography and layout have been carefully designed such that reading is easier and comfortable on the eye;

and so on. Where the original latin text is a scriptural quote, the Douay-Rheims bible version english translation has been used.

It is hoped that the reader reap the many benefits that this classic work of a wholly accessible Christian theology so engrossingly offers; a significant reason why La Palma’s book has remained doggedly relevant to this day.