Asian Jesus? Exploring Our Cultural Assumptions About Jesus Through Artwork

Throughout the millennia, Jesus has been portrayed by artists across every conceivable medium. Some of these depictions of Jesus have sought to prioritize historical accuracy, while others have focused on conveying theological significance through artistic expression.

Depending on the culture of the artist, depictions of Jesus have varied greatly. Nevertheless, for American evangelicals and other western Christians, the standard for how we think of Jesus’ appearance has been set by artists who portrayed him as a western European.

That hasn’t been the case for everyone in the global church.

In a recent photo essay published in Christianity Today, Victoria Emily Jones explored the ways in which Jesus’ birth has been portrayed throughout the centuries in Asian cultures, providing insight into the unique ways in which depictions of Jesus have indigenized to those cultures.

The article was met with stanch criticism, with a number of Christian leaders decrying CT as “woke” and “liberal.”

In this episode, we take a closer look at the article and explore why it caused such backlash. We also discuss artistic depictions of Jesus more generally. For example, is it okay that they are culturally defined? To what measure are we conscious or unconscious of the fact that our culture is defining our depictions of Jesus? And how much historical accuracy do we need in order to understand who Jesus is in a way that is theologically cogent?

RELATED RESOURCES

 

Latest Episodes

Is There Such a Thing as a Gay Christian?
Do the 10 Commandments Belong on Public School Classroom Walls?
Tony Evans, Robert Morris, Carl Lentz, and the Fallout From Pastor Scandals
What If We’ve Gotten Heaven All Wrong?
Is the Pope Catholic? Francis' Appearance on 60 Minutes
PTSD, John MacArthur, and Mental Health Awareness Month
What Is the Purpose of the Church?
What To Make of Richard Dawkins' Cultural Christianity
When and How Should Christians Start Disciplining Their Children?
A Better Christian Vision for Immigration
Who Is the Devil? A Deep Dive on Satan
A Christian Perspective on IVF and Other Reproductive Technologies
Cremation, Sainthood, Unforgivable Sin, and Other Questions
Religious Scrupulosity: Super Faithful or Mentally Ill?
Is Alistair Begg Wrong About Christians Attending Same-Sex Weddings?
Does Paul Contradict Jesus? Progressive Christianity on TikTok
Is Joe Biden a Christian Nationalist?
Asian Jesus? Exploring Our Cultural Assumptions About Jesus Through Artwork
Pro-Life or Abortion Abolitionism: Who’s Right?
The Christian Origins of Santa Claus
Can You Walk Away From Church Without Walking Away From Jesus?
Are Ghosts Real?
Seeking Moral Clarity in Israel and Palestine
Unconditional Conference, Andy Stanley, and LGBTQ+ Issues in the Church
Ecumenism: How United Should the Global Church Be?

Explore More Episodes