Sometimes you have to switch tactics to make your point.
For the last few years I've been trying to help American Christians understand who Jesus is and that He isn't a Pro-War, American Capitalist. I'm not making much progress, it seems.
But then I ran across this article about a new comic book being created called "The Savage Sword of Jesus" and it sounded like what some American Christians believe. [This is not a joke]
Here's a little about the comic from an interview with writer Grant Morrison over at Vulture Magazine:
"In an interview with Vulture, Morrison revealed his idea for this controversial take on Jesus Christ came...when he uncovered a Nazi project called Positive Christianity, which “recast Christ as a proactive Aryan rather than a meek Jew.” The title and physical look of the Messiah are inspired by a “Conan the Barbarian” series."
"Obviously, I had done a lot of research for that one, and I just came across this interesting idea that during the Second World War, the Nazis had attempted to rebrand Christianity, and rebrand Christ, specifically. Take him away from the gentle and peace-loving character of the Gospels, and to transform him into a Nordic and brutish and violent Messiah.”
"The idea of stories being changed to fit a narrative rings true with Morrison, especially in this current political climate: “We’re living in a time when it’s quite clear how even the most pacifist stories or narratives that one time were a lot more positive, can be perverted to stand in as catalysts for violence and mayhem. Especially now that we live in a world where we’ve seen that lies can easily be overlooked, and where celebrity culture is more powerful than the truth, and where people can quite happily twist any narrative to suit any new narrative, and almost twist narratives into their complete opposites, which is what the Nazis tried to do with the Gospels.”
Sound familiar? To me, it sounds frighteningly familiar...
Because so many American Christians have pretty much already done this theologically. They've created a version of Jesus that is pro-war, who approves of violence, who condones torture, who turns a blind eye when we turn away refugees, and who can't stand "sinners".
Anyone who reads the actual New Testament scriptures will find that Jesus isn't any of those things.
This is why the "Savage Sword of Jesus"comic should offend anyone who truly embraces Jesus for who He is.
It should also offend Christians when someone equates following Jesus with embracing violence, oppression, war, and nationalism.
But for some reason it doesn't.
This is why I've said the greatest threat to Christianity in America is American Christianity. Because it looks so little like Jesus.
“Savage Sword of Jesus Christ” goes on sale December 28th.
-kg
**
"In an interview with Vulture, Morrison revealed his idea for this controversial take on Jesus Christ came...when he uncovered a Nazi project called Positive Christianity, which “recast Christ as a proactive Aryan rather than a meek Jew.” The title and physical look of the Messiah are inspired by a “Conan the Barbarian” series."
"Obviously, I had done a lot of research for that one, and I just came across this interesting idea that during the Second World War, the Nazis had attempted to rebrand Christianity, and rebrand Christ, specifically. Take him away from the gentle and peace-loving character of the Gospels, and to transform him into a Nordic and brutish and violent Messiah.”
"The idea of stories being changed to fit a narrative rings true with Morrison, especially in this current political climate: “We’re living in a time when it’s quite clear how even the most pacifist stories or narratives that one time were a lot more positive, can be perverted to stand in as catalysts for violence and mayhem. Especially now that we live in a world where we’ve seen that lies can easily be overlooked, and where celebrity culture is more powerful than the truth, and where people can quite happily twist any narrative to suit any new narrative, and almost twist narratives into their complete opposites, which is what the Nazis tried to do with the Gospels.”
Sound familiar? To me, it sounds frighteningly familiar...
Because so many American Christians have pretty much already done this theologically. They've created a version of Jesus that is pro-war, who approves of violence, who condones torture, who turns a blind eye when we turn away refugees, and who can't stand "sinners".
Anyone who reads the actual New Testament scriptures will find that Jesus isn't any of those things.
This is why the "Savage Sword of Jesus"comic should offend anyone who truly embraces Jesus for who He is.
It should also offend Christians when someone equates following Jesus with embracing violence, oppression, war, and nationalism.
But for some reason it doesn't.
This is why I've said the greatest threat to Christianity in America is American Christianity. Because it looks so little like Jesus.
“Savage Sword of Jesus Christ” goes on sale December 28th.
-kg
**
1 comment:
It's nothing new. This actually first happened in the 3rd and 4th centuries under Constantine when Christianity was coopted by the Roman Empire as the State Religion. That was when the concept of Just War was developed to rationalize the 180 degree turn in leaving non-violence as Christ taught and modelled it.
It wasn't until the Crusades in the 7th and 8th century that is became fully developed by coopting the theology of Islam as it was used to almost conquer Europe.
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