Black, White or In Between? On the Ethics of Jesus Images in Films, Bibles and Other Media

Everybody knows what Jesus looks like. In this presentation we discuss Jesus’ portrayal as a white man, which has become his globally recognised “true” likeness. This distorts the gospel on both biblical and historical grounds and affects people’s understanding of Christianity. We discuss where white Jesus images come from, how they developed over the centuries and why they continue to be perpetuated in films, illustrated Bibles, apps and other media. Each image of a white Jesus contributes to maintaining Jesus’ “true” likeness.

Drawing on over 20 years of work and research in the Republic of Benin, West Africa, we show examples of Jesus images in different media that we have come across over the years. They all show a version of a white Jesus. People who are sceptical about the continued global influence of America and France, their former colonising country, find easy grounds to reject Jesus images, and – with it – Christianity. This plays into the hands of anti-French sentiments and jihadism, which are gaining ground in the region.

Using white Jesus images comes with potentially serious ethical problems and implications. To address this issue, we should understand Jesus first and foremost as a human like you and me. He was black, white and in-between all at the same time. Like Europeans who shaped today’s “true” likeness, everybody should be encouraged to picture Jesus just like they look themselves.