Picturing Christ - Understanding Depictions of Jesus in History and Art

Picturing Christ tells the story of how Latter-day Saints and other Christians have imagined Jesus and portrayed him in art throughout history, as well as what the archaeological evidence suggests about what he might have looked like. Though what Jesus did is more important than how he looked, how we see him shapes us. Our assumptions about what Jesus would have looked like can have a significant impact on our relationships with Deity, ourselves, and one another.

Cowritten by three professors of ancient scripture and an art historian, Picturing Christ walks us through the developments in art of Jesus throughout the centuries to help us begin to see him in new and transformative ways. By studying Jesus’s appearance and the long tradition of artistic efforts to reflect and appreciate his likeness, you will better understand the nature of our Savior and come closer to him.

Daniel Becerra is a scholar of early Christianity and associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU. His research centers on moral formation in ancient Christian literature.

Jennifer Champoux is a teacher, scholar of Latter-day Saint visual art, and the curator of the Book of Mormon Art Catalog.

Mark D. Ellison is a scholar of early Christian art and is an associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU. He also has done archaeology field work at the Bethsaida (et-Tell) Excavations and Huqoq Excavations near the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew J. Grey is a professor of ancient scripture and the coordinator of the ancient Near Eastern studies program at BYU. He researches the material culture of daily life in Roman Palestine and has been involved in archaeological excavations, research, and publications relating to the world of the New Testament.