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

By Chris Greenough, Reader in Social Sciences, Edge Hill University

Have you ever wondered why so many images depicting the crucifixion show Jesus 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 the historical Jesus, they certainly reflect social and cultural ideas about masculinity and idealised notions of manhood.

In many images of the crucifixion,…

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