Since our reading talks about Jesus in the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) tradition, here's a popular rendering of Jesus from that tradition. It's "Jesus Returning" by Harry Anderson, a twentieth century Mormon artists.
A Course Blog for Elon's REL 204: Christian Traditions.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Jesus in the LDS Tradition
Since our reading talks about Jesus in the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) tradition, here's a popular rendering of Jesus from that tradition. It's "Jesus Returning" by Harry Anderson, a twentieth century Mormon artists.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I find both of these images fascinating! In one picture, you have Christ portrayed in light and the other image has no true color, but Christ still appears in a white robe. In both picture however, all of his followers are surrounding him as Christ appears to act welcoming (especially in the first photo).
ReplyDeleteWithout looking at the title of each photo, I think that both of these images are two ways to portray Christ: a welcoming Christ in Heaven and a "preaching" Christ that is also appears welcoming. The number of followers in each image also add to the meaning behind each viewer's interpretation.
Personally, I think these photos are pretty representative of how most religious followers view Christ, despite if they are Mormons. Whenever there are followers included in a picture of Him, I always ask, do Christ's followers illustrate His religious authority or do they strongly encourage the viewer to become a follower of Christ, or both? It may seem like an obvious question, but I have brought it up before in religion classes (I had to attend religion sessions when I was younger in order to be confirmed) and many of my peers disputed it!
What do you think? Hope this makes sense.
By "obvious question" I meant it is a question that may be brought up frequently and has an obvious answer.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there should not be the word "is" 3 words after "preaching" in the second paragraph.
Despite the turmoil among the blurred, anxious bystanders, Jesus stands calm, collected, and distinct in the second painting. The use of shading associates darkness with the common sinner (among a diverse crowd), and light with the Divine. Jesus has one hand pointed to god in the heavens, and the other at the people, almost like a liaison between good and evil. But here I think light and dark is at work, not white and black. Light=truth, and dark=confusion, instability, sin. I don’t see the image as racially charged. However dark and light, black and white share similar archetypes. This may indirectly associate Jesus as a white man (and all the stereotypes that come with it), and darker colored skin as sinful or evil (and all the stereotypes that come with it).
ReplyDeleteIronically, Anderson does not utilize shading in his painting, yet race clearly influences his depiction of Jesus and the heavens. Jesus stands in white clouds, surrounded by white and blonde angels, wears white clothing, and has white skin and light colored hair.
I think that the second picture with Jesus standing in the middle of the group of Native Americans is particularly interesting in regards to Mormon tradition. According to Blum and Harvey, Mormons were keen on converting Native Americans because they believed that they were 2 of the lost tribes of Israel. In the picture we see Jesus standing in the middle of a group of Native Americans as a shining light that they prostrate themselves in front of. Despite persecution and forced removal by the government of the time, Mormons could use this imagery to show Native Americans with no exposure to Christianity that they had a divine being they could worship since Mormons claim historical connections between Native Americans and Jesus.
ReplyDeleteAwww thanks for commenting on my post. You all are the best.
ReplyDelete