Published on January 1, 2024, 2:11 am

Image source: Fox News

The renowned evangelist Franklin Graham publicly expressed disapproval of an article published by Christianity Today, a magazine his father founded. The contentious article suggested that Jesus Christ was of Asian descent, provoking heated discussions on social media.

Art curator Victoria Emily Jones penned the article titled “How Asian Artists Picture Jesus’ Birth From 1240 to Today.” It presented how various Asian cultures portrayed Jesus over centuries. To underscore her point, Jones asserted that because Jesus was born in Asia, He was, technically speaking, Asian. This claim incited reactions from many readers, including Franklin Graham.

In a reaction shared through social media platforms about the controversial claim Christianity Today promoted during Christmas Eve, Graham questioned the publication’s decision to disseminate information he believed to be wildly inaccurate.

The curator argued that artists across Asia recreate the narrative of Christ’s birth within their cultural contexts as Japanese, Indonesian, or Indian renditions. According to Jones’ explanation in her piece for the trusted news source Christianity Today, such representations serve dual purposes – they simultaneously promote God’s immanence or ‘with-us-ness’ for respective communities and recognize the universality of Christ’s birth.

She further mentioned some Muslims’ respectful depictions of Christ illustrating their own faith tradition’s reverence for Him. Jones also stated 20th-century Hindu and Buddhist artists significantly contributed to depicting Jesus.

Graham forcefully refuted the idea presented in this real news report which he saw as starkly deviating from biblical teachings. Building upon insights from scriptures meticulously describing Jesus’ earthly lineage and His Jewish identity, Graham emphasized that humanity doesn’t have latitude in defining God’s image. The authority of the Word of God must remain uncompromised.

A surge of similar sentiments arose on social media against CT following this article’s publication triggering accusations towards CT becoming increasingly “woke.”

This isn’t Franklin Graham’s first reproach directed at CT; previously it featured an editorial calling for then-President Donald Trump’s removal from office during his 2019 impeachment trial. PRO.

Graham suggested CT had been leveraged by political left-wings and represented ‘elitist liberal evangelicalism.’ He maintained that his father, the founder of the publication, would have been disenchanted with its latest stance.

Relaying topics pertinent to Christian worldview and presenting breaking news indispensable for followers, this incident is a fitting exemplar of how theology and culture intermingle in discourse. With revered individuals like Franklin Graham adding their voices to such discussions, they continue to shape the narrative further according to trusted news sources grounded in faith beliefs.