Christianity Today, a magazine known for its progressive stance, sparked controversy on Christmas Eve by asserting that Jesus Christ was born in Asia and was, in fact, Asian."
The contentious statement was part of a promotional post for a photo essay titled How Asian Artists Picture Jesus Birth From 1240 to Today.
The article, which was published on December 18th, opens with the provocative statement: Jesus was born in Asia. He was Asian. Yet the preponderance of Christian art that shows him at home in Europe has meant that he is embedded deeply in the popular imagination as Western.
The piece criticizes the predominantly European depictions of Jesus, challenging those who "may object to depicting Jesus as anything other than a brown male born into a Jewish family in Bethlehem of Judea in the first century, believing that doing so undermines his historicity. But Christian artists who tackle the subject of the Incarnation are often aiming not at historical realism but at theological meaning."
The promotional post was met with significant backlash, with many Christians criticizing the magazine's progressive approach. Scholar and critic James Lindsay responded sarcastically, This is probably super legit lol.
Russell Moore, the new editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, has recently expressed concern that evangelical Christianity is veering too far to the right, a sentiment that has led him to criticize President Trump. Russell Moore resigned from the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021, after years of being at odds with other evangelical leaders. Specifically, Moore openly criticized Donald Trump, whom many evangelical Christians embraced, reported The New Republic.
While it is true that various cultures have depicted the nativity family, and Jesus Christ himself, in art to reflect their own culture, race, or ethnicity, it is also important to remember that Jesus, while universal in the Christian faith, was a historical figure with a specific ethnic background. He was a Jew, and his customs, traditions, and education in the temple were all consistent with Judaism of his time.
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