What Father Martin Gets Wrong About ‘White Jesus’

[Michie]

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) is among many largely forgotten Renaissance artists. While Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael are household names (if mostly thanks to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Botticelli remains largely forgotten, his works bombarded quickly snapped teenage selfies by largely oblivious teenagers visiting Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.

Nonetheless, Botticelli’s paintings are among the most exquisite and beautiful depictions of the human form in all of not only Italian Renaissance, but in all of world culture.

Although best known for his depictions of pagan deities, Botticelli created a number of beautiful images of Our Lady, including Madonna del Magnificat and The Madonna of the Pomegranate.

Boticelli’s Virgins, like his Venuses, generally depict the ideal beauty of his place and age: a tall, blonde northern Italian woman with rounded face, milk white skin, and blue eyes. And that makes sense. Most of Boticelli’s female figures were modeled upon aristocratic women of Florence. It’s unlikely the artist (or his audience) actually thought that the Our Lady was a Tuscan noblewoman.

Continued below.
What Father Martin Gets Wrong About 'White Jesus' - Crisis Magazine

 

[Gnarwhal]

Heh, at this point the list of things Slim Jim gets right is far shorter than what he gets wrong.

Father Martin seems especially annoyed that there exist some stained glass representations of Christ depict Our Lord as “the purest white—whiter than anyone else,” which makes for “terrible catechesis.” He worries that, if Christ is depicted as white, it might make some “feel left out.” The Jesuit suggests that “we should have Black Jesus in white churches, as a reminder of who Jesus was, and is, today. Because Jesus is best found in people that are outside your comfort zone.”

Imagine someone who is so entirely out of focus in their religious priorities that they make statements like that. James Martin, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Imagine someone who is so entirely out of focus in their religious priorities that they make statements like that. James Martin, ladies and gentlemen.

I want to believe that clergy who make idiotic statements like that have their hearts in the right place. But they don't make it easy.