Podcast Summary: Conspirituality — Brief: Antifascist Christianity: Black Jesus (Pt. 1)
Host: Matthew Remsky
Release Date: October 11, 2025
Overview
This episode, hosted by Matthew Remsky, inaugurates a two-part exploration of "Antifascist Christianity" with a focus on the figure of "Black Jesus"—a perspective shaped by the Black Church and Harlem Renaissance theology, and contrasted with the imperial construct of "White Jesus." Remsky aims to unpack the theopolitical roots and consequences of how Jesus is imagined in both oppression and liberation, drawing on works by Reggie Williams, Cedric J. Robinson, and others. Bonhoeffer’s transformation from a European theologian to an advocate of a revolutionary, Black Christ becomes a central narrative lens. Part 2, releasing on Patreon, will examine the “squishy” territory of white liberal Christianity and its complicity.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Context: White vs. Black Jesus
- Bonhoeffer’s Journey: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, initially an adherent of a white, imperial Jesus, learns of the radical Black Jesus through the Harlem Renaissance, ultimately adopting an anti-fascist Christian stance.
- Core Thesis: The binaries of White Jesus and Black Jesus are mapped onto the divide between fascism and anti-fascism, both religiously and geopolitically.
- Modern Resonance: These dynamics are not historical relics but shape current religious and political landscapes—highlighted by recent mass gatherings of “White Jesus” worship in the US.
2. Semantic Satiation and the Modern Mega-Church
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Example Used: Charlie Kirk’s memorial service at State Farm Stadium, attended by 100,000 (sep. 21, 2025).
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Observation: The worship became an example of semantic satiation—a term from psychologist Leon Jacobovitz James—for when the repetition of a word makes it lose its meaning, leaving only a spell-like effect or feeling of triumph/accomplishment.
“Jesus as a term seems empty of all meaning and yet filled with incredible power … a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment or triumph.”
— Matthew Remsky [08:15] -
Critique: This version of Christianity, Remsky argues, is perfect for those in power who seek validation rather than justice, essentially enabling the avoidance of any real work for equity or change.
3. Intellectual Foundations: Reggie Williams, Cedric J. Robinson, and the Roots of Racialized Christianity
Reggie Williams ("Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus")
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White Jesus Defined: Produced by the merger of European theology and colonialism, White Jesus legitimizes European domination and rationalizes inequity.
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Colonial Legacy: Even as colonialism becomes less explicit, "White Jesus" persists in new, more sanitized forms, blessing the outcomes of imperial projects.
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Anecdote: Remsky reflects on childhood impressions of sanitized, Westernized Jesus, never realizing the social, historical, or ethnic reality:
“White Jesus was like the golden child who’d grown up to be the golden person living in the golden city or suburb. … as a kid, I had no idea what that society was built on.”
— Matthew Remsky [13:55]
Cedric J. Robinson ("Black Marxism")
- Racial Capitalism: Capitalism did not transcend racism but was forged inside it; the Black Radical Tradition and Black Christianity offer a critique not just of economic systems but of the very fabric of Western civilization.
Janelle Khope & Bill V. Mullen ("The Black Anti-Fascist Tradition")
- Black leaders recognized and combatted the roots of fascism (racial capitalism, white supremacy) before these terms were coined or acknowledged in Europe—citing Ida B. Wells, anti-lynching campaigns, Pan-Africanist and communist organizing against colonialism/Mussolini.
4. “The Color Line” and Exclusion from World Peace
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W.E.B. Du Bois and the League of Nations (1919): Du Bois and Black/colonial leaders were denied participation at Versailles, reinforcing the "color line" dividing the world into those entitled to dignity and power and those excluded.
- Du Bois’ later writings connected the "Negro race" with the virtues of Christ’s meekness and inheritance of the earth, prefiguring the vision of Black Jesus.
“In that meekness which shall yet inherit this turbulent earth.”
— W.E.B. Du Bois, quoted at [22:11]
5. Colonial Christianity as an Evaluative System
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Religion as Classification: Christianity, as presented to indigenous and colonized peoples, functioned primarily as a tool of classification and valuation, not true inclusion or fraternity.
- Remsky draws uncomfortable parallels with "New Age" figures like Rudolf Steiner who perpetuated racial hierarchies—asserting these are not aberrations, but products of mainstream religious institutions servicing colonialism.
“There’s no real ideological difference between what Steiner was saying and the overall classification and evaluative strategy of European theology predating him by hundreds of years.”
— Matthew Remsky [27:40]
6. White Jesus—Sadistic Pedagogue and Divine Commander
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Suffering and Triumph: For Black Americans, White Jesus is a sadistic overseer, sanctifying Black suffering, aligning with systems that reinforce racial stereotypes and violence.
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Hymn Analysis: Martin Luther’s “Ein feste Burg” evokes triumphalism and certainty, whereas Afro-American spirituals ask probing communal questions—“Were you there?”—highlighting solidarity and shared suffering.
“There is no fortress in this hymn. … This is a pure confession and identification with the person executed by the state. It is the opposite of battle and victory. It is pure loss.”
— Matthew Remsky, on “Were You There?” [33:10]
7. Black Jesus: Solidarity with the Oppressed
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Hidden by White Supremacy: Black Jesus remains marginalized, invisible to the dominant culture except to those suffering with him.
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Revolutionary Faith: The vision encountered by Bonhoeffer in Harlem is of a Jesus who inspires active, risky solidarity and identification—not dissociation or triumphal distance.
“Black Jesus does not bring Christianity as an opiate … Instead, he invites black Americans to show fidelity to the church by demonstrating solidarity with social outcasts, even if it costs them their lives.”
— Matthew Remsky [34:28]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Semantic Satiation and the Power of Repetition:
“If you are really pouring yourself into the sound or the kinetics of a word, you just have less brain juice to consider its meaning.”
— Matthew Remsky [07:47] -
On the Paradox of Triumph and Disengagement:
“It’s honestly the religion that white people in power need. They need everything to be rationalized, accomplished, forgiven. … That reassurance might relieve them of whatever justice work they might imagine having to do.”
— Matthew Remsky [09:47] -
On Black Jesus as Hidden and Subversive:
“He is hidden, invisible to the white world. Because white Jesus was constructed to legitimize their racialized social imagination and to justify white supremacy.”
— Matthew Remsky [34:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:06–05:45 | Introduction, series summary, Bonhoeffer’s journey | | 06:38–07:15 | Worship excerpt from Charlie Kirk memorial (semantic satiation) | | 07:12–10:00 | Analysis of worship, fulfillment vs. justice | | 10:40–13:00 | Introduction of core books and frameworks | | 15:10–21:00 | White Jesus in colonial legacy and childhood impressions | | 21:00–23:50 | The color line and Du Bois’s activism at Versailles | | 27:40–30:10 | Discussion of New Age racism & colonial Christianity | | 30:11–33:05 | Hymns: “Ein feste Burg” vs. spiritual “Were You There?” | | 33:00–34:40 | Defining Black Jesus and his revolutionary impact | | 34:41–36:22 | Closing remarks and preview of Part 2 |
Conclusion & Teaser for Part 2
Remsky closes by promising more on how liberal Christianity has enabled the dominance of White Jesus and failed to provide substantive moral content, drawing lessons for the present era’s political and spiritual crises.
“I’ll come back on Monday with an exploration of the squishier compromises of liberal Christianity in relation to black Jesus, because I think they have a lot to tell us about this season of squishes we're in...”
— Matthew Remsky [35:30]
For Further Reading
- Reggie Williams – Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance
- Cedric J. Robinson – Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition
- Janelle Khope & Bill V. Mullen – The Black Anti-Fascist Tradition
Note: For Part 2 and deeper dives, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon.