"For by so much more frequently as Jesus is seen in artistic representation,
By so much more readily are people lifted up to His memory… And to a longing after Him."
-The Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

Thursday, April 5, 2012

“Hipster” Jesus

In honor of Easter, Newsweek has decided to resurrect Jesus as, what many have labeled, a “Hipster” in Times Square. 

A quick Google image search for hipster will reveal many young men dressed similarly to the way Jesus is portrayed on the cover.  UrbanDictionary.com defined a hipster as thus:

Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter…

Although indie-rock is a bit after Christ’s time, one could make the argument that by that definition, Jesus could be considered a hipster without a gigantic stretch of the imagination.  Our 33 year old messiah was most definitely an independent thinker that clashed with both the religious and civil authorities of His time.  Being Himself a woodworker, He would have a strong appreciation of well done craftsmanship and most likely art in general (although Judaism was an anionic religion during JC’s day, so this may be a stretch). 

The Gospels do make very clear that Christ engaged in “witty banter” with Pharisees through His teaching.  For example, some of you may of heard of the phase “wolf is sheep’s clothing.”  That was a JC original (Matthew 7:15).  Matthew chapter 23 is actually full of the Messiah’s zingers ranging from “blind guides” to “whitewashed tombs” to accusing the scribes and Pharisees of meticulously straining out a gnat from their wine but upon having a drink neglecting to notice there happens to be a camel in the beverage as well.  These are just a small sampling of Jesus’ witty banter.  Reimagining Jesus as a hipster can most definitely be a fruitful exercise in exploring who Christ is in our 21st century USAmerican culture.

Beyond the hipster clothing style we have a fair skinned, blue eyed Jesus with long dirty-blond hair and a short beard.  A typical look for not only hipsters, but also common in traditional artwork (although clearly not historically accurate).  Our Jesus finds Himself in the middle of the busy streets of downtown Manhattan at night—a popular hipster hangout. His head is backlight giving a subtle halo effect and perhaps alluding to this Man’s divinity.  Jesus also wears a crown of thorns recalling the passion, yet has His hands in His pockets hiding any possible stigmata so no other signs of physical suffering are visible.  Jesus has His eyes raises upward, but there is a certain ambiguity whether this gaze is meant to be towards His father in Heaven or if rather this Jesus is just too cool to look at you.  Much of who this Christ is is left to the viewer to decide.

Finally, superimposed over His fashionable getup is the provocative title of the cover story, “Forget the Church, Follow Jesus.”  In the picture, there is a certain isolation of Christ amidst one of the world’s busiest places that lends to the ideas of Him being separate from any formal organization.  This is not explicate, but the wording does lead one to that conclusion.  Curiously, the title given on the cover is not the title Andrew Sullivan give the story inside the magazine.  Sullivan simply calls his piece “The Forgotten Jesus,” a title that rings more true to his article, but not nearly as attention grabbing.