Cynthia Erivo's portrayal of Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Hollywood Bowl has been widely praised as powerful, transcendent, and unsurprisingly criticized by religious conservatives. How could a woman, and especially a Black queer woman, play the role of Jesus? Julia, Rev. Blair, and Everest were in attendance on opening night. In this episode, we discuss Erivo’s performance, the role of art in unsettling assumptions and critiquing power, and what it means to see the spark of the Divine in all of us. We end the episode by celebrating the one-year anniversary of our podcast.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this first year a success! We are excited about our future as we aim to create the best progressive theological podcast that you can find.

The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

Show Notes

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/02/22/cynthia-erivos-jesus-christ-superstar-controversy-explained/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ_Superstar
3. https://variety.com/2025/music/concert-reviews/jesus-christ-superstar-cynthia-erivo-adam-lambert-hollywood-bowl-review-1236477734/