In a controversial post on Christmas Eve, Christianity Today stirred up intense backlash for claiming that Jesus Christ was actually “Asian” and born in Asia, not Bethlehem. The post promoted a photo essay called “How Asian Artists Picture Jesus’ Birth From 1240 to Today.” The article takes the position that even though Jesus was Asian, he’s constantly depicted as European in Christian art.
According to the article, the vast majority of Christian art depicts Jesus as European, despite the fact that he was actually born in Asia. As a result, many people have come to view the idea of Jesus as an exclusively European figure as fact and not fiction.
The article goes on to say that some people may object to the idea of Jesus being depicted as anything other than a brown-skinned man from Bethlehem. But, the artists who create representations of him usually do so for theological reasons, not for historical accuracy.
Christianity Today’s post sparked widespread anger and confusion. Many people took to social media to express their disbelief that the well-known, woke Christian magazine would make such a claim. Critics of the article noted that it seemed intent on causing controversy and getting clicks, rather than being based on any kind of real research or historical accuracy.
However, proponents of the article and photo essay applauded them for trying to highlight the diversity of how different cultures depict Jesus. They pointed out that Jesus was, in fact, a Middle Eastern man, and that many Asian cultures’ depictions of Christ were more accurate than Western ones.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, Christianity Today’s post and photo essay serve as a powerful reminder of the ways in which people often overlook the diversity of cultures and ideas within Christianity. Many scholars and experts hope that this debate will only serve to encourage a more inclusive and open discussion about how people view and understand Jesus Christ.