Why is Jesus often depicted with a six-pack? The muscular messiah reflects Christian values of masculinity

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Why is ****** often depicted with a six-pack? The muscular messiah reflects ********** values of masculinity

(L-R) The Rockox Triptych by Rubens (1613–1615), ******* as the Man of Sorrows by Maerten Jacobsz van Heemskerck and The Last Judgement by Michelangelo (1541). Credit: Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp/Sistine Chapel

Have you ever wondered why so many images depicting the crucifixion show ****** with a very defined, slender and toned body? Either slim, but with a six-pack, or displaying muscles and brawn. While these images are hardly a reflection of what little can be surmised about

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, they certainly reflect social and cultural ideas about masculinity and

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.

In many images of the crucifixion, ****** is depicted as both strong and vulnerable. Crucifixion paintings showing a muscular messiah suggest that ****** could perhaps physically have overcome his fate, had he wanted to. This interpretation of the crucifixion story amplifies the emotional and spiritual strength of his sacrifice.

The ****** is full of strong men and pumped prophets. Working the land is

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for eating from the Tree of Knowledge.

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, filling it with every bird, animal and food. Samson has

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in the book of

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—his only weakness is women.

The

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details ******’ genealogy in detail, and it is clear that he has other hard men in his DNA. It speaks of Abraham and David, particularly. In

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, we learn how Abraham gathered an army of over 300 men and launched an ******* to save his family. In

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, he also fathers a child at the age of 100—his son, Isaac.

David is also mentioned as an ancestor of ******. He was famous for

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, whose immense stature

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. In

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, David ****** 200 Philistine men and

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to King Saul, so that he will allow him to marry his daughter, Michal.

While some portrayals of ****** have caused outrage, like those, for example, that represent him as feminine or sexualized, a similar outcry does not seem to follow the muscular ******.

There is a story in the gospels of ******’s physical strength, when he

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those who were buying and selling in the temple, overturning tables in his anger. In the New Testament, the gospels even narrate a

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.

The endurance of physical ******** before the crucifixion has been well documented in religious iconography, such as the

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, as well as in films such as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the ******* (2004). ****** also has to be mentally strong to overcome ******, so depictions of his physical strength are perhaps supposed to echo his superhuman, spiritual strength.

‘Behold the man!’

Paintings that depict ****** with a six-pack have influenced factions of Christianity. In the 19th century, the idea of

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took hold. The term, invented in 1857, describes those Christians who see moral and religious value in sports.

In his book

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(1997), professor of religion Stephen Moore explores the quest for ****** in a perfect human masculine form, and how this is connected to physical culture and male narcissism. Masculine ********** spirituality is often aligned with the values of

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.

While his ministry isn’t known for its exercise focus, ******’s fitness can be seen in some interpretations of the gospels. He

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and

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on his back.

Through the Eucharist (“take and eat, this is my body”), ******’s body became **********. This has palpable implications for many modern Christians. If ******’s physical fitness is a sign of his holiness, then it is something to aspire to.

Theologian Lisa Isherwood’s book

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(2008) explores ********** women’s weight-loss cultures through programs such as “Slim for Him.” Feminist theologian Hannah Bacon’s book

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(2019), meanwhile, analyzes the problematic use of “sin/syn” to refer to “bad” foods in weight-loss programs.

For some Christians, depictions of ****** as strong and muscular represent the ideal of a man’s body. They interpret Biblical stories in ways that mirror these paintings. Many of these groups believe that Biblical ideas of

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. In response, they put on events designed to attract men to ******* and promote the ideals of biblical manhood. Praising a muscular body ideal for men—and for ******—is part of that.

So next time you’re looking at a painting of ****** in a ******* or gallery, do remember that such images reflect contemporary social and cultural attitudes to men’s bodies, rather than authenticity, in their artistry.

Provided by
The Conversation

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under a Creative Commons license. Read the

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Citation:
Why is ****** often depicted with a six-pack? The muscular messiah reflects ********** values of masculinity (2024, March 28)
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