The Jesus of pop culture is multiethnic and well-traveled, pious and irreverent, singing and silent. A fictional portrayal that is blasphemy to one viewer is sacred to another. The diversity of Jesus’ depictions reflects the diversity of the pop culture audience. Most recently, another fictional Jesus has appeared in Compton, smoking weed and promoting “black-Latin” reconciliation in the new comedy Black Jesus. The sitcom presents a Jesus who uses at times crude language to ultimately promote a consistent gospel message of love. While this Jesus “shares in the pleasures” of his largely poor, African-American community, “he also challenges their prejudices, violence, and self-seeking.” Read more in Danny Duncan Collum’s “The Christ of Compton” (Sojourners, November 2014).
Check out this list to read about five portrayals of Jesus in recent pop culture history.
1. Lion Jesus
In The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis sets up a less than subtle allegory of Jesus in the form of a lion named Aslan. Aslan transforms a void into a world through song. He welcomes children. He dies and comes back to life. But still, he is a lion, fierce and elusive, helping to convey both the intimidating power and the radical love of Jesus.
“‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver; ‘don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course [Aslan] isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’” –The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1950)
2. Black Jesus
In the sitcom Black Jesus, Jesus comes in full robes and in full solidarity with the poor, marginalized, African-American community in Compton. It’s an irreverent comedy with important timing, airing on Adult Swim around the same time as tragedy struck Ferguson, Mo. In “The Christ of Compton,” Collum writes, “In that context, it didn’t seem strange that Jesus would want to identify with unemployed young African Americans and offer them his love, solace, and support.”
“[You want] the lotto numbers? I got some kindness, I got compassion, and I got love for all mankind. You better get up on some of that, man!”–Black Jesus (2014)
3. #HotJesus
What happens when a former Portuguese model is cast as Jesus? Diogo Morgado inspired the viral hashtag #HotJesus in his role in Son of God. While the movie seemed to shift attention away from gore and toward the radicalness of Jesus’ ministry, it ultimately received poor reviews from critics. However, it received high praise from teenage girls, who were not all too concerned with the historical accuracy of Jesus’ good looks.
“Your hunger for righteousness will be filled through me.” –Son of God (2014)
4. Tempted Jesus
Martin Scorsese’s film adaptation of The Last Temptation of Christ certainly emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, portraying Jesus as a self-doubting man reluctant to accept the reality and consequences of his divine destiny. While on the cross, Jesus hallucinates that he is making love to Mary Magdalene. The controversy sparked by this movie revealed that while mainstream Christian audiences are comfortable with Jesus relating to human sufferings, they are not as comfortable with Christ relating to their human temptations.
“If I was a woodcutter, I'd cut. If I was a fire, I'd burn. But I'm a heart and I love. That's the only thing I can do.” –The Last Temptation of Christ (1983)
5. Singing Jesus
The rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar was a concept album and a Broadway hit before it became a critically acclaimed movie in 1973. Over a span of one week, Jesus sings his way to the cross, accompanied by a love-struck, conflicted Mary Magdalene, and an angsty, sympathetic Judas. More entertaining than scriptural, the movie still manages to ask some questions believers and nonbelievers both struggle with today:
“Tell me what you think about your friends at the top. Now who’d you think besides yourself was the pick of the crop? Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are? Could Muhammad move a mountain or was that just PR? Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake or did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?” –Judas from the song “Superstar”
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