Cultural depictions of Jesus

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Jesus has inspired artistic and cultural works for nearly two millenniums. The following lists cover various media to include items of historic interest, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture. The entries represent portrayals that a reader has a reasonable chance of encountering rather than a complete catalog. Lesser known works are not included.

For purposes of classification, popular culture music is a separate section from operas and oratorios. Television covers live action series, TV movies, miniseries, and North American animation but not Japanese anime, which appears with manga and graphic novels.

Contents 1 Books 2 Art 3 Music 4 Film 5 Miscellaneous 6 Television 6.1 Television movies 6.2 Miniseries 7 Theatre 8 Audio dramas 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

[edit] Books

Date	Title	Artist	Country	Notes	ISBN
1880	Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ	Lew Wallace	USA		N/A
1880	The Brothers Karamazov	Fyodor Dostoevsky	Russia		N/A
1942	The Robe	Lloyd C. Douglas	USA		N/A
19??	The Big Fisherman	Lloyd C. Douglas	USA		N/A
1951	The Last Temptation of Christ	Nikos Kazantzakis	Greece		ISBN 0-684-85256-X
1964	Judas, My Brother	Frank Yerby	USA		ISBN 0-434-89030-8 & ISBN 0-8037-4289-4
1966	Behold the Man	Michael Moorcock	UK		ISBN 0-58311-787-2
1967	The Master and Margarita	Mikhail Bulgakov	Russia		N/A
1999	According to Mary Magdalene	Marianne Fredriksson	Sweden

A series of articles on

Jesus Christ and Christianity Christology Chronology Ministry Miracles Parables Names and titles Relics

Non-religious aspects Background Historicity Greek • Aramaic Race

Perspectives on Jesus New Testament view Christian views Religious perspectives Jewish view Islamic view Historical Jesus Jesus Seminar Jesus as myth

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• The Urantia Book Authorship assisted by William S. Sadler
• Only Begotten Daughter and The Godhead Trilogy by James Morrow
• Quarantine by Jim Crace
• Riverworld by Philip José Farmer
• King Jesus by Robert Graves (1947)
• Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (2001)
• Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice
• Casca: The Eternal Mercenary by Barry Sadler
• The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop
• Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon (1986)
• The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago (1991)
• The Gospel According to the Son by Norman Mailer
• The Gospel of Aphranius by Kiril Yeskov
• The Gospel of Corax by Paul Park
• I, Judas by Taylor Caldwell with Jess Stearn
• Judas Iscariot by Leonid Andreev
• The Nazarene by Sholem Asch
• Testament by Nino Ricci
• The Wild Girl by Michèle Roberts

[edit] Art

Main article: Images of Jesus

There has been a long tradition of featuring Jesus in paintings and sculpture, ranging from the Roman catacombs and the conservative icon tradition of the Orthodox world through medieval altarpieces to modern acrylics. Many images depict the Life and Passion of Christ, especially the Crucifixion of Christ, whilst others show the infant Christ with his mother (Madonna and Child) or Christ in Majesty. Many of the most famous paintings in Western art feature Christ. The tradition continues in professional and folk art in many countries, as well as popular commercial imagery. Most images, whatever their origins, (as left) keep fairly close to the conventional appearance (and clothing) of Christ established in Byzantine art by about 400AD, which is now instantly recognisable.

Protestant Christians (following reformers such as John Calvin and Zwingli) frequently reject many depictions of Jesus as a form of idolatry (cf the Ten Commandments).

[edit] Music

See also: Contemporary Christian music

Gospel music has remained a strong pop element in the music of religious America, of which Jesus is a frequent topic.

There have been significant (and successful) attempts to incorporate Jesus in current popular music trends, from rock to hip-hop. This incorporation happens on three different levels:

• Bands or artists who focus almost entirely on Jesus/Christianity. Most of these bands are in support of it, and their music will almost always deal with spiritual themes. A few detractors (possibly Satanic and/or "shock rockers") may constantly critique, attack, or ridicule Christianity and Jesus.
• Songs that deal with Jesus/Christianity. Bands or artists may not be religious at all, but they will still produce a song (or songs) in reference to Jesus. The songs may deal with Jesus/Christianity in a positive light (e.g., "Have A Talk With God" by Stevie Wonder), a negative light (e.g., "Heresy" by nine inch nails or "My God" by Jethro Tull), or just as a tool to help provide commentary on modern society (e.g., "Jesusland" by Ben Folds).
• A simple reference to Jesus in a song. Many artists/bands will use a line in a song to show that they are Christian, but the song will have nothing to do with religion. Hip-hop artists will often give a "shout-out" to "the Lord", "Jesus", and other aspects of Christianity as well.

During the 1970s, the "Jesus Movement" produced many songs on the theme, and there have been many bands since then, both Christian and secular, which have done likewise.

Examples of Songs that reference Jesus:

• Cry Out To Jesus is a song by Third Day on their album of the same title. Other songs concerning Jesus by the same group include King of Glory'.
• Father, Spirit, Jesus is a song by Casting Crowns from their album Lifesong (released in 2005 by Reunion Records).
• I Believe / Jesus Is The Answer by the group Building 429 is a song on their album "Rise" (released in 2006 on the Word Records label). The song Searching for a Savior on the same album deals with the same subject.
• Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden is one of several of their songs mentioning Jesus, such as 4th of July.
• Jesus He Knows Me by the band Genesis, is found on their Platinum Collection album (released in 2005 by Rhino Atlantic).
• Jesus, I Lift My Eyes by the group Jars of Clay is included in their album Redemption Songs (released in 2005 on the Brentwood Music label).
• Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name is a song performed by Shirley Caesar on the album Her Very Best (released in 1987 on the label: Word Entertainment)
• In the song, Man in the Box by Alice in Chains, "Jesus Christ" is repeated many times.
• Jesus Lord Of Heaven is a song by Kutless on their 2005 album Strong Tower.
• Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam is a song by The Vaselines, popularized by Nirvana's cover during MTV's Nirvana Unplugged.
• Jesus Take the Wheel is a song performed by Carrie Underwood.
• Love Them Like Jesus by Casting Crowns is an example of a song by this group concerning Christ, along with others such as Beautiful Savior.
• Me and Jesus is a song by Stellar Kart from their album We Can't Stand Sitting Down (released in 2006 on the label: Word Records).
• Never Gonna Be as Big as Jesus is a song by Audio Adrenaline.
• Plastic Jesus is an American folk song.
• Something About The Name Jesus is a song by the group Kirk Franklin and the Family on their album The Nu Nation Project (released in 1998 on the Gospo Centric label). The song If You've Been Delivered on the same album deals with a similar theme.
• Thank You Jesus is a song by the group Virtue! on their album Testimony (released in 2006 on the labels: Darkchild Gospel/Integrity Gospel/Columbia). Jesus is also the subject of the song Follow Me on the same album.
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Terry MacAlmon is a song on the album You're My Glory.
• In the end of the chorus of their song Possum Kingdom from the album Rubberneck, American rock band Toadies sing the line "So help me Jesus".
• The Modest Mouse album The Lonesome Crowded West features a song entitled Jesus Christ was an Only Child.
• The lead single of The Killers sophomore album Sam's Town, When You Were Young features a line stating "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus", in the chorus.
• Suzanne by Leonard Cohen devotes its second verse to a depiction of Jesus.
• Jesus of Surburbia is a song by Green Day off their album American Idiot
• Jesus Christ is a song by Brand New off the 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me.
• In his song "Tell Me When To Go" E-40 claims that Jesus Christ had dreads, and for this reason you should shake yours.
• Personal Jesus is a song by Depeche Mode off their album Violator Later covered by Johnny Cash.
• "Jesus Walks" is a song by Kanye West off the Collage Dropout album

[edit] Film

The evolution of Jesus films is rooted in the religious or biblical "epic;" a popular genre in the 1950's usually accompanied by towering budgets and names such as Charlton Heston, Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, or Yul Brynner.

The ensuing decade brought the first attempt by a major studio to produce a religious epic in which the Christ Event was its singular focus. MGM released King of Kings in 1961, inspired by a Cecil B. DeMille film of the same title from 1927. Critics suggested the film should have been titled I Was a Teenage Jesus. The screenplay seemed less concerned with Jesus as Messiah than with rendering him as a non-violent revolutionary or Peace Corps volunteer.

Four years later, The Greatest Story Ever Told, directed by George Stevens, was completed for $25 million. Swedish actor Max Von Sydow’s portrayal of Christ was lambasted for being emotionally removed and humorless. The same could be said for Jesus of Nazareth, a 1977 made-for-television mini-series. The film received mostly favorable reviews on the part of the evangelical community.

It wasn’t until 1989 that another major studio took a gamble on a movie involving the life of Jesus, but this one involved a new wrinkle. Universal released The Last Temptation of Christ amidst what was probably the most inflamed protest against a film in history. The pre-release publicity centered around demonstrations taking place outside of Universal after celebrated figures in the evangelical media began speaking about heretical content in the film. Theater managers across the country were terrified to screen the movie and no major video chain would carry it.

Screenwriter Paul Schrader adapted The Last Temptation from the Nikos Kazantzakis novel which engages in a fictional exploration between the two natures of Christ - divine and human. The film was not intended to be a Gospel portrait. The fictional aspect, which apparently provoked opponents of its release, centered around a vision presented by the devil to the Jesus of the film while on the cross. In this vision, Jesus is shown what it would have been like to marry, have a family, live until an old age, and die a natural death. The struggle for the Jesus of the film is the torment between his human wishes for a normal Jewish life and his longing to accomplish the divine mission set before him. In the film is that Jesus conquers these temptations and carries out his sacrificial death by crucifixion.

In 2004, Academy Award winning director Mel Gibson made the blockbuster film The Passion of the Christ which became one of the highest grossing movies of 2004 and of all time.

Date	Title	Country	Notes	IMDB
1898	The Passion Play of Oberammergau	USA	early black and white silent film, directed by Henry C. Vincent, starring Frank Russell as Jesus	[1]
1911	Jésus de Nazareth	France	early black and white silent film, directed by André Calmettes and Henri Desfontaines	[2]
1914	The Last Supper	USA	black and white silent film, directed by Lorimer Johnston, and starring Sydney Ayres as Jesus	[3]
1916	Intolerance	USA	directed by D.W. Griffith, Jesus is portrayed by Howard Gaye	[4]
1927	The King of Kings	USA	silent film	[5]
1928	Jesus of Nazareth	USA	black and white silent film, Jesus is portrayed by Philip Van Loan	[6]
1942	Jesús de Nazareth	Mexico	black and white film, directed by José Díaz Morales, and starring José Cibrián as Jesus	[7]
1946	María Magdalena	Mexico	black and white film directed by Miguel Contreras Torres, Jesus is portrayed by Luis Alcoriza	[8]
1953	The Robe	USA	Jesus appears off-screen	[9]
1959	Ben-Hur	USA	Jesus does not speak in the movie, he is seen only from behind or in partial view	[10]
1961	King of Kings	USA	directed by Nicholas Ray, starring Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus	[11]
1964	Il vangelo secondo Matteo	Italy / France	directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, starring Enrique Irazoqui as Jesus	[12]
1965	The Greatest Story Ever Told	USA	directed by George Stevens, David Lean, and Jean Negulesco, starring Max von Sydow as Jesus	[13]
1967	The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus	USA	Robert Elfstrom was both the director and the actor portraying Jesus, Johnny Cash provided the music for the film	[14]
1971	Johnny Got His Gun	USA	Donald Sutherland portrays Jesus in a dream sequence	[15]
1973	Godspell	USA	directed by David Greene, Jesus is portrayed by Victor Garber	[16]
1973	Jesus Christ Superstar	USA	film based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's opera, with Ted Neeley as Jesus	[17]
1979	Monty Python's Life of Brian	UK	The story of Jesus is parodied by parallel in this movie. Jesus only appears briefly.	[18]
1979	Jesus	USA	directed by John Krish and Peter Sykes, starring Brian Deacon as Jesus	[19]
1980	White 'Pop' Jesus	Italy	directed by Luigi Petrini, Jesus is portrayed by Awana Gana	[20]
1981	History of the World, Part I	USA	directed by Mel Brooks, Jesus is portrayed by John Hurt	[21]
1985	Hail Mary	France / Switzerland / UK	a modern-day retelling of the Virgin Birth	[22]
1986	Platoon	USA	features character imitating Christ's stance on the cross (arms outstretched above his head)	[23]
1988	The Last Temptation of Christ	USA	directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Willem Dafoe as Jesus	[24]
1988	The Seventh Sign	USA	directed by Carl Schultz	[25]
1989	Jesus of Montreal	Canada / France	directed by Denys Arcand	[26]
1992	Bad Lieutenant	USA	directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Paul Hipp	[27]
1994	The Shawshank Redemption	USA	features character immitating Christ's stance on the cross (arms outstretched above his head)	[28]
1997	Matthew	USA/South Africa	directed by Reghardt van den Bergh starring Bruce Marchiano as Jesus	[29]
1997	Orgazmo	USA	Jesus is seen cheering the lead character on at the end of the film	[30]
1998	The Book of Life	France / USA	directed by Hal Hartley, starring Martin Donovan as Jesus	[31]
1999	Superstar	USA	directed by Bruce McCulloch, Jesus is portrayed by Will Ferrell	[32]
1999	South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut	USA	Jesus can be seen as part of the American army marching in front of Kyle's house	[33]
1999	Dogma	USA	Buddy Christ is created as an icon to help revitalize the Catholic Church.	[34]
2000	The Miracle Maker	UK	stop-motion animated film with Ralph Fiennes as the voice of Jesus	[35]
2001	Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter	Canada	directed by Lee Demarbre, Jesus is called upon to aid humanity against a vampire scourge	[36]
2003	The Gospel of John	Canada / UK	directed by Philip Saville, starring Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus	[37]
2004	The Passion of the Christ	USA	directed by Mel Gibson, it portrays the final days in the life of Jesus.	[38]
2006	World Trade Center	USA	Jesus is seen in the vision of a New York City firefighter in the film	[39]
2006	The Da Vinci Code	USA	Jesus was supposedly married to Mary Magdalene, who is portrayed as a pagan goddess and the true Holy Grail.	[40]
2006	The Nativity Story	USA	Retells the Biblical account of the nativity of Jesus, following the story of Mary and Joseph until the birth of Jesus occurs.	[41]
2006	Color of the Cross	USA	Jean-Claude La Marre both directs the film and stars as Jesus	[42]
2006	Son of Man	South Africa	directed by Mark Dornford-May	[43]
2007	The Lost Tomb of Jesus	USA	Simcha Jacobovici stars in this documentary about the supposed findings of the Jesus family tomb. The film dramatizes certain scenes in the Bible to depict Jesus both as a husband and a father.

[edit] Miscellaneous

• The popular clothing line Urban Outfitters has launched numerous Jesus-themed apparel, their most popular being 2004's "Jesus is my Homeboy" T-shirts, which were publicized by the Hip-Hop artist Kanye West.
• The Jesus action figure has become somewhat of a meme of American culture. The action figure made an appearance in Sum 41's music video for The Hell Song.^{[citation needed]}
• Jesus, the Lamb of Hosts and Our Lord and Saviour, is a minor character in the popular web comic Penny Arcade.[44]
• The English metal band Cradle of Filth attained a large measure of notoriety after a fan was arrested wearing a notorious t-shirt produced by the band, depicting a masturbating nun on the front and the slogan "Jesus is a cunt" on the back. A handful of fans have faced court appearances and fines for wearing the shirt in public, with one serving eight hours of community service.[45]
• Jesus appears very briefly in the PlayStation 2 RPG Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra. He is seen only from behind and from far away in a heavily whited out scene.
• Many adult-oriented cartoons, such as South Park and Family Guy, use Jesus Christ as a character, in unusual situations such as a talk show host.

[edit] Television

Date	Title	Country	Notes	IMDB
2006	The Book of Daniel	USA	cancelled due to public outcry	[46]

[edit] Television movies

Date	Title	Country	Notes	IMDB
1980	The Day Christ Died	USA	directed by James Cellan Jones, starring Chris Sarandon as Jesus	[47]
2003	Ben Hur	USA	animated TV movie	[48]
2004	Judas	USA	TV Movie	[49]
1999	Mary, Mother of Jesus	USA	TV movie	[50]

[edit] Miniseries

Date	Title	Country	Notes	IMDB
1999	Jesus	Czech Republic / Italy / Germany / USA	TV miniseries	[51]
1977	Jesus of Nazareth	Italy / UK	TV miniseries	[52]

[edit] Theatre

• Godspell
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Cotton Patch Gospel
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• !Hero the Rock Opera

[edit] Audio dramas

• The Man Born to be King (1941)
• Adventures in Odyssey, in episodes #66, #67, #137, #141, #176, #177, #183, #226, #227, #232, #302, #304, #305, #345, #346, #383, #389, #404, #413, #425, #439, #461, & #499

[edit] See also

• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Jesus of Montreal
• Jesus of Nazareth (film)
• List of movies based on the Bible
• Jesus in the Christian Bible

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Bible Films Blog: Index of Jesus Films
• Official Site for The Jesus Family Tomb