The Power of That Vision

Christ the Redeemer, overlooking Rio de Janeiro

Christ the Redeemer is the most famous giant statue of Jesus, but it's only one of several, including the larger Christ the Protector under construction in southern Brazil:

Christ the Protector is one of about three dozen giant statues of Jesus that have been constructed around the world during the 20th and 21st centuries, mostly in Latin America but also in Europe, Africa and Asia. Financing usually comes from individual donations encouraged by local politicians.

Occasionally wealthy businessmen have made the figures their ego-boosting pet projects.

Colossal statues, such as the monumental medieval Buddhas of China and Central Asia that can tower over 200 feet, were not unknown before the 20th century. But their heavy material, usually stone, made it impossible to carve them free-standing at those heights. The Statue of Liberty’s substitution of copper sheathing for stone rendered her dauntingly expensive. But the invention of steel-reinforced concrete made it possible to build enormously tall free-standing statuary at a reasonable price.

Christ the Protector will be only the third-tallest statue of Jesus in the world so far. The tallest is Jesus Buntu Burake in Makale, Indonesia, completed in 2015 and soaring to 172 feet with its pedestal. But it may not hold the distinction for long: A 253-foot statue of Jesus has been planned in Tamaulipas, Mexico, although so far the project has stalled.

Large statuary causes the heart to rule the head. Through pictures and videos we can analyze the artist's message dispassionately. But in person, when we get physically close to the Statue of Liberty or the Lincoln Memorial or Michelangelo's David, something in the animal brain surfaces as the breath catches and the blood races.

Those who construct these representations of Jesus were paying tribute to their faith, and they were hoping to evoke the emotion they were feeling in others. Over a million annual visitors just to Rio alone can attest to the power of that vision.