Is it possible to picture Jesus as a white man?

In all likelihood, if you close your eyes and picture Jesus, you’ll imagine a white man. Without conscious intention or awareness, many of us have become disciples of a white Jesus. Not only is white Jesus inaccurate, he also can inhibit our ability to honor the image of God in people who aren’t white.

What did Jesus Christ look like?

The historical Jesus likely had the brown eyes and skin of other first-century Jews from Galilee, a region in biblical Israel. But no one knows exactly what Jesus looked like.

Where did the idea of Jesus being depicted in art come from?

(Marion Johnson) Inspired by his paramour Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI of Rome. The depiction of Jesus in art of the first Christian centuries gradually standardized his appearance through use of propaganda, and forced baptisms.

Why are there so many pictures of Jesus Christ in movies?

It wasn’t only Warner Sallman’s Head of Christ that was depicted widely; a large proportion of actors who have played Jesus on television and film have been white with blue eyes. Pictures of Jesus historically have served many purposes, from symbolically presenting his power to depicting his actual likeness.

Is white Jesus accurate?

Not only is white Jesus inaccurate, he also can inhibit our ability to honor the image of God in people who aren’t white. Jesus of Nazareth likely had a darker complexion than we imagine, not unlike the olive skin common among Middle Easterners today.

Are You disciples of a white Jesus?

While Christ the Lord transcends skin color and racial divisions, white Jesus has real consequences. In all likelihood, if you close your eyes and picture Jesus, you’ll imagine a white man. Without conscious intention or awareness, many of us have become disciples of a white Jesus.

What color was Jesus Christ’s skin?

Jesus of Nazareth likely had a darker complexion than we imagine, not unlike the olive skin common among Middle Easterners today. Princeton biblical scholar James Charlesworth goes so far as to say Jesus was “most likely dark brown and sun-tanned.”