The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey
The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey
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The Color of Christ
The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America

Author: Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 9 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/21/2012

Synopsis

How is it that in America the image of Jesus Christ has been used both to justify the atrocities of white supremacy and to inspire the righteousness of civil rights crusades? InThe Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey weave a tapestry of American dreams and visionsfrom witch hunts to web pages, Harlem to Hollywood, slave cabins to South Park, Mormon revelations to Indian reservationsto show how Americans visually remade the Son of God time and again into a sacred symbol of their greatest aspirations, deepest terrors, and mightiest strivings for racial power and justice. The Color of Christuncovers how, in a country founded by Puritans who destroyed depictions of Jesus, Americans came to believe in the whiteness of Christ. Some envisioned a white Christ who would sanctify the exploitation of Native Americans and African Americans and bless imperial expansion. Many others pictured a messiah, not necessarily white, who was willing and able to confront white supremacy. The color of Christ still symbolizes Americas most combustible divisions, revealing the power and malleability of race and religion from colonial times to the presidency of Barack Obama.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kevin

Judea, circa 6 BCE Let’s get out in front of this potential quagmire from the get-go: There is no reliable way of knowing what Jesus actually looked like. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John never reference his skin color. However, given what we know about first century populations of Galilee......more

Goodreads review by H

A really good idea -- tracing the history of an image -- but leaves the reader overwhelmed by information, stories, and examples with very little analysis of what it all means. Its most disappointing that he doesn't investigate deeply why the image of Christ solidifies in the late 19th century. He d......more

Goodreads review by Monique

Pop quiz: What did Jesus look like? Most people would answer that he was tall, white with light brown, straight hair, a beard and blue eyes, sort of Nordic-looking. Where did we get this idea (and why do so many people believe it) when we know he was Jewish and not from anywhere near Norway? "The Co......more

Goodreads review by Thomas

G. K. Chesterton wrote America “is a nation with the soul of a church.” Paul Harvey seeks to address the nature of Chesterton’s soulish nation church. “The Color of Christ” is a jarring examination of America’s fixation of Christ imagery. Once abhorrent of iconography, Harvey posits America rather q......more

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