Faces of Jesus

Please bookmark this module at Facebook or Twitter:   Facebook    Twitter

Rasta Jesus


Jesus is so often shown as a white person that it comes as a shock when he is shown with black skin. This powerful image from the Carribean shows us Jesus as he relates to the issues of racism and oppression in the world today.

image

This image of Jesus as a black person comes from the Caribbean and from people whose ancestors were taken there as slaves from Africa. For them, picturing Jesus as a white person, looking like the traders and owners who enslaved them, is offensive, to say the least.

Instead, Jesus is shown as a Rasta, belonging to the popular culture of the Caribbean, and he appears as the one who liberates the people from their oppression and poverty.

This powerful face of Jesus is an image of Christian resistance against racism and injustice. It shows us Jesus as the one who spoke out against prejudice and who overturned the tables of the corrupt traders of his time – and who does the same in our time, too.

It’s the opposite of “gentle Jesus, meek and mild”. This is Jesus alive and angry about the way class, race and gender are used to destroy people’s lives. This is Jesus who said, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”

What do you think of this picture of Jesus? What does it “say” to you? Pay a visit to our community boards by clicking here, and talk with others about the pictures you and they have found interesting or helpful.

Black and Asian people have developed unique interpretations of the gospel of Jesus based on their particular cultures, histories and experience. One only needs to visit a Black Pentecostal church or Asian Christian fellowship and listen to the worship and preaching to realise that there is a distinctive Christian tradition at work. Black theology makes the Black Christian experience the starting point for exploring theology. One of its central concerns is, ‘how does our non Western heritage, colonial past and syncretised cultures influence our understanding of the meaning of God in the world today?’

Robert Beckford, author of “Jesus is Dread”

Back to the top
Bookmark this page: del.icio.us Favicon  Digg Favicon  Facebook Favicon  Reddit Favicon  StumbleUpon Favicon  Technorati Favicon

Search rejesus

About this module

Christians have been making images of Jesus since the early centuries of the church. In this section, we look at pictures of the face of Christ – some of them centuries old, some of them from today.

NB: If you are hoping to reproduce these images you will need to seek permission from the original copyright holders (not rejesus). Please don’t contact us looking for permission or asking for contact details for the copyright holders.

Categories: Creativity, Art & image,

Facebook

Module contents

arrow Full gallery

arrow Black Jesus

arrow Jesus of Nazareth

arrow Light of the World

arrow Ruler of Creation

arrow Bar Code Jesus

arrow The Guru

arrow Shroud of Turin

arrow Forensic Image

arrow The Revolutionary

arrow Catacombs Christ

arrow Rasta Jesus

arrow Eastern Icon

arrow Laughing Liberator

Related modules

RJ is hiring

Rejesus is looking for new content contributors: artists, writers, thinkers, coders, film makers, creatives. If you have a great proposal get in contact.

Categories

arrow Art & image

arrow Articles

arrow Biographical

arrow Downloads

arrow Experiential

arrow How to

arrow Interactive

arrow Interviews

arrow Poetry

arrow Reviews

arrow Seasonal

arrow Sound & vision

If you've found something useful on this site, or use it regularly as a resource, please make a donation here to help us continue.

Latest Blog posts

Queen Accession

Monday (6th February) is the 60th anniversary of the Queen coming to the throne. Whether you are an ardent fan… more

Wheat!

more

Moral news

The Leveson inquiry into how the press behave (following various scandals) has produced some amazing moments. None more so than… more

Seeing things differently at www.mysticchrist.co.uk

prayer christian auschwitz faith abolitionist text message christmas foodball timeline artist interaction amen veronica photo quotable poor office pdf celtic sayings slum mother teresa simon taylor global warming poverty workplace happiness quiz forgiveness golf bishop animation jerusalem nun friar interview course photographer poet nature war theology clouds exercise mark cross freedom plants saint astrophysicist
© copyright
rejesus 2002 to 2012
Powered by ExpressionEngine
Design by Embody