This thesis is a reception study based on the impression on Renee Cox's work 'Yo mama's last supper’, Edwina Sandy's bronze sculpture Christa and the book cover of Bettina Rheim's work I.N.R.I. / Crucifixion I. The focus for the study has been to look on contemporary images of Jesus that problematize Jesus' gender identity. In all the selected works, Jesus is portrayed as a woman. The reactions that arise in the reception study will then be compared to contemporary Christian theologians’ views on the body and gender to create a better understanding seek understanding between theory and what is experienced in the encounter with new interpretations of Jesus' gender identity.

The questions the essay is based on is: What reactions appear in the reception of the images of Jesus? And: How can the reception of the images of Jesus be understood through the perspective of contemporary Christian theology on the body and gender? The introductory chapter presents the method of reception studies that will be used to find and categorize the reactions that the artworks invoke. A qualitative reading of selected theologians in feminist theology and gender theology will be conducted out to be able to compile their thoughts in the theoretical framework of this essay. The background in the essay consists of the theoretical framework of the theologians that in this essay will be represented by Rosemary Radford Ruether, Lizette Pearl G. Tapia, Graham Ward and Sarah Coakley. Their theological thinking will work as a tool to analyse as an analyse tool for the reception to see how people’s reaction can be seen through contemporary Christian theology.

The results part consists of a retelling of the receptions I found where they are lined up to show what reactions the images of Jesus created. This is followed by the conclusion where the reactions that have arisen are paired together based on similarities and a discussion is conducted about how they can be connected to the theologians. Finally, it is followed by an ultimate discussion where a summary of the conclusion is given, a summary which has shown a lot of mixed emotions. The biggest part of them having a negative tone and shows the need for applying feminist and gender thinking into theology.