The Color of Christ

The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America

By: Edward J. Blum, Paul Harvey

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

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? In The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey weave a tapestry of American dreams and visions - from witch hunts to web pages, Harlem to Hollywood, slave cabins to South Park, Mormon revelations to Indian reservations - to 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 Christ uncovers 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 America’s most combustible divisions, revealing the power and malleability of race and religion from colonial times to the presidency of Barack Obama.

Edward J. Blum, a professor at San Diego State University, is an award-winning author of several books on race, religion, politics, and culture in United States history.

©2012 the University of North Carolina Press (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“In this powerful and groundbreaking book, historians Blum and Harvey examine how images of Jesus reflect the intersection of race and religion in America. Blending historical analysis, lucid prose, and captivating primary sources, Blum and Harvey trace the remaking of Jesus from Puritan America to antebellum slave cabins, from Joseph Smith’s revelations to Obama’s presidency. The authors compellingly argue that Christ’s body matters, that it signifies power, reflects national fears and evolving conceptions of whiteness, and perpetuates racial hierarchies by continuously reifying the idea that whiteness is sacred…They masterfully probe how a sacred icon can be a tool at once of racial oppression and liberation. A must-read for those interested in American religious history, this book will forever change the way you look at images of Jesus." ( Publisher's Weekly)

Black Jesus?

Filled with information and fascinating facts.. More proof of how America controls its black and brown people.

Enlightening interesting and educational

This work was an eye opener and covered so many issues with American Christianity. I given me a lot to consider surrounding religion politics an relationships.

Love the book

This book caught my attention from the minute I started listening, right to the very end. It confirms what I have always know about the Christian religion and whiteness and that is that Jesus is usually used in every aspect of religious life and culture to legitimize any Ideology and give it credence in the eyes of the purveyors of such ideology!! I have always been astounded by antebellum African American’s religious faith in the face of danger! While Uncle Tom revel in obedience to Jesus and his slave masters, almost maniacally, there were slaves who did not believe in the fairness, righteousness or saving grace of Jesus since he allowed their suffering to continue!!
For the insular minds among us who only hears the echoing ideologies from their echo chambers in regards to spiritual theologies, race and Jesus this is the book they should read!
For the religiously brain washed among us, this is the book they should read!
The authors laid the brick work for our understand of how we mold Jesus into our ideology in order to get away with our decadence, our piety and our conscience!

WONDERFUL BOOK!

Loved it 🥰 Informative, but still entertaining enough to not be preachy. Definitely a must read

Another good research in Humanities

here's another good book to add to my research in human psych and the affects from religion, race etc. no matter what you practice this book provided insight as to how religion is used to control and perpetuate anything the power structure wants. well written and performed which kept me interested to know more.