Why A White Jesus Is A Problematic Version Of Jesus: What Is Eurocentric Theology? (Part 1)
I follow this guy on Twitter who goes by the name of “Irish Atheist” and it is so incredibly painful to read the replies, from fellow Christians, to his
Why A White Jesus Is A Problematic Version Of Jesus: What Is Eurocentric Theology? (Part 1) | Andy Gill Special Offers BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian Beliefs Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint More Voices Muslim New Visions Pagan Progressive Christian Topics Religion News Food and Religion Sports and Religion Religious Art Religious Music and Entertainment Religious Events History and Religion Style and Religion Politics and Religion Women in Religion Recreation Outdoors and Religion Business Finance and Religion Careers Workplace and Religion Education and Religion Family Parenting and Religion Health Fitness and Religion Home and Religion Relationships and Religion Technology and Religion Travel and Religion Columnists Buddhist Columnists Business Finance and Religion Columnists Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists Catholic Columnists Contemplative Columnists Education and Religion Columnists Evangelists Columnists Family Parenting and Religion Columnists General Christian Columnists Health Fitness and Religion Columnists Hindu Columnists History and Religion Columnists Home and Religion Columnists Jewish Columnists More Voices Columnists Latter Day Columnists Muslim Columnists New Visions Columnists Nonreligious Columnists Pagan Columnists Politics and Religion Columnists Progressive Columnists Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists Relationships and Religion Columnists Religion News Columnists Religious Art Columnists Religious Events Columnists Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists Sports and Religion Columnists Style and Religion Columnists Technology and Religion Columnists Travel and Religion Columnists Women in Religion Columnists Resource Library Library of World Religions The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth Patheos Answers Podcasts Videos Faith Leaders Database Anglican Episcopalian Bahai Baptist Buddhism Christianity Confucianism Eastern Orthodoxy Hinduism Holiness and Pentecostal ISKCON Islam Judaism Lutheran Methodist The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints New Age Paganism Presbytarian and Reformed Protestantism Religion Behind the Scenes Roman Catholic Scientology Shia Islam Sikhism Sufism Sunni Islam Taoism Zen See all religions Research Tools Comparison Lens Preacher Resources Teacher Resources Video Podcasts Thought Readers E-Books and Other Special Offers God's Cheat Sheet to Finances Books of the Bible Study series History of the Bible 7 Day Prayer Challenge for Spouses A Different Kind of Christian Jesus is Love Prayer Devotional The Saints We Love FaithChatter Conversation Cards Newsletters Special Offers Subscription Support Subscription Support Follow Patheos Trending: Soul | Resurrection | Joy | Feminism | Politics | Epiphany Andy Gill Get newsletters and updatesClose get the latest fromAndy Gill Sign up for our newsletterGet updates from Andy Gill delivered straight to your inboxYes, I want the Patheos Progressive Christian Newsletter as wellPlease also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Patheos’s Partners Privacy and Data Policy Toggle navigation HomeAboutArchive Index Progressive Christian Why a White Jesus is a Problematic Version of Jesus: What is Eurocentric Theology? (Part 1) Last updated on: November 2, 2017 at 2:09 pm May 15, 2017 by Andy Gill Why a White Jesus is a Problematic Version of Jesus: What is Eurocentric Theology? (Part 1) May 15, 2017 Andy Gill Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. I follow this guy on Twitter who goes by the name of “Irish Atheist” and it is so incredibly painful to read the replies, from fellow Christians, to his tweets. I’ve noticed over the years that Christians love throwing at him the notion that “he just has yet to find the right church home…” Here’s the thing… One of the most annoying things friends and/or family members say to me [that still remain in the Church] is, “You must have not found the right Church home, yet…” It’s this indolent, pious, passive-aggressive dismissal; all stemming from what I’d say to be a “Eurocentric theology.” Before I go on, one might be wondering, “What exactly is ‘Eurocentric theology’?” What Eurocentric Theology Is… Any theology that is opposed, err, indifferent to the oppressed person’s liberation is not Christian theology. Any theology that casts caring for the poor and the powerless as optional to a meaningful Christian life is heresy. In contrast to my above statements, any theology that negates any one individual’s experience is not representative of the divine nature and/or character of God. This is the issue we find with any form of systematic theology that somehow becomes this sacrosanct revelation. A Eurocentric theology does all of the above. It’s a form of theology that does not only negate the humanity of nonwhite persons but sets the acceptable form of human existence as “whiteness.” It wrongfully and detrimentally presents the Gospel within the framework of a euro-centered perspective; therefore, this theology is only taking into consideration a limited group of peoples political, social, and economic interests. This is how and why we received and have gotten a westernized, European, conservative, evangelical, Americanized, pseudo version of the actual Gospel (I know, that’s a lot of adjectives). At its very best it can be described as “social conservativism.” Hopefully, at this point, it’s needless for me to say that this type of gospel is troublesome. Any type of theology that selfishly re-shapes Jesus into this “never changing” version of who you want him to be, is dangerously problematic. But, as I’ve mentioned before in a prior post of mine “The Evangelical Delusion,” it’s about experience. I spoke about the felt disconnect between myself and the Church communities I’ve been a part of, saying: “For me, the white evangelical Jesus they handed me was simply un-relatable. He didn’t see my experience. Their gospel didn’t breathe life into my experience, it further perpetuated a societal status-quo of nothingness… When the pastor professed a Eurocentric Gospel their version of Jesus couldn’t handle or comprehend the weight of an adopted POC’s experience.” Any type of challenge, questioning or disagreement would be shamed, shunned or threatened by anathematization (not sure if that’s a word but as long as you’re following, whatever). Them seeing my questions as liabilities was like being told who I was would never be accepted. Calling out various forms of doctrine and the shortcomings that naturally come alongside them has seemingly only brought more division and “bifurcation within contemporary Christian circles.” It triggers a reaction from Calvinists, liberationists, and everyone in between; it seemingly pushes us further into our own individual silos. In other words, it’s not helping, it’s dividing. Any systematic theology in which we hold up as the divine revelatory Gospel is ironically the worship of an idol; an idol that comes in the form of a westernized European pseudo version of Christ; a modernized version of a “golden calf,” if you will. Pious theologians, lay-leaders, regular people, we must all remember that we’re imperfect and faulted people; John Calvin to Gustavo Gutiérrez we’re all just attempting to understand what we cannot comprehend, let alone properly articulate. I’m left wondering and asking, is unity even a possibility? Progressive RSS Tagged with:ChristianChurchCultureDechurchedMondayeurocentricwhite jesus...more Previous Post April 29, 2017 The Cost of Joy: “But We Rejoice in Our Sufferings…” Next Post May 23, 2017 Why a White Jesus is a Problematic Version of Jesus: Why and How He is a Dangerous Tyrant (Part 2) Browse Our Archives Select a Category Book Reviews Books Buzzfeed Christian Church Church Culture Dating Dechurched eXvangelical Guest Post Humor Inspirational Justice LGBTQ Life Marriage Media Millennials Mini Post Monday Money Podcast Politics Race Reason Relationships Science Sex Socioeconomic Theology Theology Uncategorized Video Wednesday Youth Ministry Select a Month June 2020 March 2020 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 get the latest from Progressive Christian Sign up for our newsletter Also, send me special offers. Follow Us! OTHER RELATED CONTENT 1 He always said that Heaven was... slacktivist 2 Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana Vies... Progressive Persuasion and Passion 3 You'll just love Lauren Boebert and... Grace-Colored Glasses 4 3 simple questions guaranteed to make... Grace-Colored Glasses Support thisColumn Related posts from Andy Gill Progressive Christian Trump Pushing for $1.2 Trillion to Give Cash... Andy Gill Progressive Christian A Short Cut to Reconciling One’s Cognitive Dissonance... Andy Gill Progressive Christian The Evangelical Concept of Hell Was Actually Invented... Andy Gill Progressive Christian Jesus Promises Persecution Not Prosperity Andy Gill TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian Wisdom of King Solomon VS Overly Positive Thinking The book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament is one of the... Hopes and Hazards of Artificial Intelligence Two hazards frighten our otherwise optimistic AI techies. First, the possibility of... The heresy of nominianism (story > rules) Elevating rules, in other words, tends to turn us into the Bad... How God’s Presence is Incarnated Among Us “Many things occur between God and [humans] which escape the attention even... A Safe, Compassionate, Just Home for Everyone, Part... In this story, the early followers perceived teachings that would end oppression... Who Am I? How to Build a Person In one of the essays assigned for my honors colloquium on Michel... view all Progressive Christian blogs Subscription Support About UsVideosPodcastsLibrary of World ReligionsAdvertise With UsWrite for UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceDo Not Sell My DataContact UsRadiant DigitalManage Newsletter SubscriptionsUnsubscribe From NotificationsSitemap Copyright 2008-2023, Patheos. All rights reserved. Subscription Support Follow Patheos Do Not Sell My Personal InformationWhen you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link. More informationAllow All Manage Consent PreferencesStrictly Necessary CookiesAlways ActiveThese cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.Sale of Personal Data Sale of Personal Data Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link.If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.Targeting Cookies Switch Label labelThese cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.Performance Cookies Switch Label labelThese cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.Back ButtonCookie List Search IconFilter IconClear checkbox label labelApply CancelConsent Leg.Interest checkbox label label checkbox label label checkbox label label Confirm My Choices