Jewish Crucifixions, Christian Tragedy: The White Crucifixion as a Site for Tragic Theology after the Holocaust

Abstract

In 2013, Pope Francis, to the surprise of many, singled out Marc Chagall’s 1938 painting the White Crucifixion as one of his favorites. However, despite being a depiction of a Jewish Jesus surrounded by antisemitic violence, the White Crucifixion has inspired a fair amount of serious Christian theological engagement, even before the Pope’s announcement. The painting allows viewers to imagine a crucifixion without a concomitant resurrection, without redemption and hope, which has proven inspiring for post-Holocaust Christian thinkers. Reading the White Crucifixion alongside Donald MacKinnon’s tragic theology of Christ’s human contingency allows us to visualize the violent consequences of the crucifixion and ask questions about Jesus’s responsibility for the Jewish people and antisemitism. The White Crucifixion is thus an important and meaningful site for Christian and Jewish visual engagement with tragic theology.