In the April 15th issue of the Religious Herald a reproduction of a painting appeared [“Artist paints Jesus at center of American history, public life”]. In this article I want to raise some cautions about this picture. The reason I am concerned is that the picture delivers a powerful message, and that message can be very seductive. It can seduce us in at least two ways.
First of all, the painting can be seductive because the artistic images are powerful enough to tempt us toward deifying the country we love. And that is idolatry, a violation of the commandment that we shall have no other gods but God. The picture will instill in many people a subtle kind of national idolatry. This is the case because of the way Jesus stands at the center of the painting holding up the U. S. Constitution. And the background locates him in Washington, D.C.
At this point it is relevant that the artist is a Mormon. The article that accompanies the picture says this, but it does not tell us that Mormons are taught that it has been divinely revealed that the U. S. Constitution was inspired by God. The Constitution is not inerrant, necessarily, but it is divinely inspired. Patriotic Americans uphold, defend and abide by the Constitution. But none of that requires that we see it as inspired.
Of course, we must be fair here. When Mormons say the Constitution is inspired, they do not necessarily deify this country. But then, I am not saying they do. My point is rather that the power of the central image in the painting easily tempts us toward national idolatry, whatever exactly the artist may have believed.
I turn now to the second way in which this painting can be seductive. It can seduce us not only to hold to our political opinions with passion and conviction, but to go beyond that and declare that those who disagree with us on important political issues are disobedient to God — and that they are Satanic!
To see how the painting has this effect, we must focus upon a few of the many symbols in it. In this picture Jesus is surrounded by about 50 human figures, each symbolic in its way. Just behind Jesus are specific individuals out of our country’s past, such as Washington, Lincoln, Reagan and Kennedy. The artist believes that each strengthened the country and the Constitution.
In the foreground of the picture there are figures who represent current-day Americans of different types. The types of Americans in the left foreground are all looking at Jesus and the Constitution. The artist believes these generally strengthen the Constitution and the nation. They include a Marine, a farmer, a mother and others.
By contrast, in the right foreground we find several types of current-day Americans who are looking away from Jesus. The artist believes these types of American generally damage the country. Here we find a judge, a liberal professor, a liberal broadcast reporter and others.
At the top of this right foreground group of people there is a hooded figure. He does not quite show up in the small reproduction of the painting that appeared in the Herald. The accompanying article tells us he is there, however, and we can see this hooded figure clearly in the larger versions of the painting on the artist’s website. This figure is Satan.
Let us look again at the figure of the judge. Several documents are scattered beside him. In large versions of the painting one can tell that these are different Supreme Court decisions, and which decisions they are. The judge has his face in his hands. He is obviously regretting his part in these decisions. Though he is in the presence of Christ, he is looking away from Christ. Along with the others in the right foreground, the artist has put this judge “in Satan’s corner,” so to speak. Clearly the artist believes that these court decisions represent policy choices that were bad for the country.
I do not want to argue for or against any of the political philosophies or any of the government policies that the artist represents in his painting. But I do want to ask about the way he encourages us to look at those who disagree with us on such matters. Shall we say they are disobedient to Christ and that they are in league with the Devil? That is exactly what this painting does, graphically, and with considerable force.
We can and we should work for the policies and the philosophies in which we believe. We can and we should oppose policies and leaders with whom we differ. But do we really want to say our opponents are Satanic? Should we even think that? Is that where we are led by the Spirit of Christ — as this painting implies?
Surely not. This painting overflows with an arrogant kind of self-certainty that I believe is poison to our political system and an offense to God. We are not divine, we do not have divine knowledge, and it is a perilous kind of pride and presumption to think we can know God’s mind in any such way as this.
Note where we have arrived. We have come back around to the issue of idolatry. In this case it is not an idolatry of our nation, however. It is an idolatry of ourselves. What else could it be but idolatry — confusing ourselves with God — if we think we can judge such matters with the mind of God?
Take in this painting if you will. But beware of being taken in by it!
Robison B. “Rob” James is Camp-Cousins Professor of Religion Emeritus at the University of Richmond, where he was a member of the active faculty for 38 years. He currently chairs the Baptist General Association of Virgnia’s religious liberty committee, although he is writing in his own capacity, not as the committee’s chair.