The long history of how Jesus came to resemble a white European

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The portrayal of Jesus as a white, European man has come under renewed scrutiny during this period of introspection over the legacy of racism in society.

As protesters called for the removal of Confederate statues in the U.S., activist Shaun King went further, suggesting that murals and artwork depicting “white Jesus” should “come down.”

His concerns about the depiction of Christ and how it is used to uphold notions of white supremacy are not isolated. Prominent scholars and the archbishop of Canterbury have called to reconsider Jesus’ portrayal as a white man.

As a European Renaissance art historian, I study the evolving image of Jesus Christ from A.D. 1350 to 1600. Some of the best-known depictions of Christ, from Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” to Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, were produced during this period.

But the all-time most-reproduced image of Jesus comes from another period. It is Warner Sallman’s light-eyed, light-haired “Head of Christ” from 1940. Sallman, a former commercial artist who created art for advertising campaigns, successfully marketed this picture worldwide.

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-long-history-of-how-jesus-came-to-resemble-a-white-european/ar-BB16RCUM?li=BBnb7Kz

[msongs]

1. cultures cast the images of their gods to match their own images. nt

[Irish_Dem]

2. God on Mars is going to look Martian. That is OK by me.

[Dave says]

16. So chauvinism is alright by you?

“Chauvinism is the irrational belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak or unworthy.” (Wikipedia)

Seems like the seeds of much suffering is contained in such beliefs, no?

[Irish_Dem]

19. Selling a religion is a tricky business. I wouldn't expect Martians to worship an earthling god.

The masses won't worship someone who is foreign to them. They have to see a god who looks like themselves.

Europeans probably would not have accepted a Jewish Mediterranean god. So the image was manipulated.
The proselytizing Jesuits were masters at this kind of thing when converting pagans to Christianity.

Man made religion has historically sown many seeds of suffering, and continues to do so to this day.

However instead of talking about the racial makeup of our all male gods, I would like to suggest we really shake up the system and make our gods female.

[smirkymonkey]

23. +1000

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Tearing down religious images will get kind of complicated

since they're mostly private property, and located on private property.

It might be better to focus on creating new art.

[Dave says]

22. I'm with Crunchy on this one!

[FreeState]

4. Wait, your saying he isn't white/European?

How could that be - he’s white in every image I saw growing up. Not only that we were told we become lighter skinned the more righteous we are! Everyone in heaven is white!*

(I wish this was sarcasm, but it’s standard Mormonism unfortunately).

*I don’t believe any off this any longer - in fact i tend to believe the biblical Jesus never existed.

[sarisataka]

5. There was a recent discussion on DU

About how people of Middle Eastern origin are classed as Caucasian and appear white to most people.

So maybe...?

[keithbvadu2]

10. Gospel song... 'We'll all be white in the heavenly light.'

'We'll all be white in the heavenly light.'

Old timey gospel -

'We'll all be white in the heavenly light.'

Newer playings have changed that phrase.

&feature=emb_logo

Carter family

[FreeState]

11. Wow

I hadn’t seen those. Crazy.

[Wingus Dingus]

18. Listened to the Carters, and listening to the lyrics I think it's a nice sentiment, however

cringey and incorrectly worded it seems today. They mean well.

[Dr. Strange]

17. No, he was Korean.

[mitch96]

6. I always wondered what would happen if thru some strange quirk of fate that it is found that

Jesus was a black man. What would racist christians do?
m

[Behind the Aegis]

8. They can't even deal with a fact he was a Jew, so there's that.

Of course, they don't seem to be the only ones with that particular malady.

[mitch96]

21. "he was a Jew". And from what I read he was referred to as a Rabbi also....nt

[appalachiablue]

7. The Last Supper, Mel Brooks

[keithbvadu2]

9. What race/ethnicity was Jesus?

It depends on whose wall his picture is hanging.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

12. He usually wasn't even portrayed as a man...

... in the earliest artwork among Christians.

He was usually portrayed as an effeminate-looking boy, back when a fish was their symbol instead of a cross. The cross rose to prominence after the Roman emperor, Constantine, became a Christian and compelled it upon others. Constantine killed his own son over jealousy, by the way.

[standingtall]

13. Here is the most important part about the identity of Jesus

Last edited Sun Apr 4, 2021, 11:01 PM - Edit history (1)

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.


Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. All the stuff about what he looked like which has gone on forever is really unimportant.

That passage sums up the real historical Jesus that scholars claim they have been trying to find, but really what those scholars are looking for is an historical revision of Jesus where he is just some nice guy. These topics are really just a backdoor assault on the deity of Christ and given that's it's Easter Sunday it's pretty inappropriate.


For it's worth I he believe probably looked Middle Eastern not white, but it's irrelevant. For one it does need to be proved what he looked like, two you couldn't prove it anyway and three even if you could proved it it wouldn't not have the results you were hoping for. Does matter how much evidence you show somebody if someone is using what Jesus looked like to support supremacy their going to stick to it no matter what.

[Sur Zobra]

25. Hmmm...

I think Jeebus resembled the Flying Spaghetti Monster

[PurgedVoter]

14. Let us put this simply. Jesus would not have approved of a picture of Jesus.

Since he followed and supported the Commandments and clearly did not approve of the violation of these, a picture of Jesus is exactly what Jesus would not have wanted anyone to have or make. Additionally it was prophesied that he would be plain and nothing special to look at.

Isaiah 53, 2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.

So unless you are not Christian or Jewish, or you do not adhere to the doctrine that Jesus' thoughts and guidance at the time were perfect and should never be updated, a depiction of Jesus should be a horror, a blasphemy, and an abomination.

[standingtall]

15. Except keeping commandments was the law in which Jesus expressly said he came to fulfill

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Somebody wants to have an image of a Middle Eastern Jesus,an Asian Jesus,African Jesus, White Jesus etc. That's fine by me as long as they don't make it a means of supremacy.

[Klaralven]

20. Maybe his father was Ukrainian? You don't really know what he looks like.

[lindysalsagal]

24. It's been revisionist history since the stone age, regardless.

All the gods are made in the human maker's image. Period.