The Racialisation of God and its Implications for Black Identity, Psychological Emancipation, and Socioeconomic Development: A Critical Examination of Eurocentric Religious Imagery, Colonial Socialisation, and Structural Inequality

Background: Religious imagery has historically influenced perceptions of authority, morality, identity, belonging, and human worth. Within European colonial Christianity, representations of Jesus Christ and God through European physical characteristics became influential visual conventions in societies populated predominantly by people of African descent. Objective: This study critically examines whether the historical privileging of White religious imagery has contributed to racialised perceptions of authority, cultural alienation, and barriers to psychological and socioeconomic empowerment among Black populations. Methods: A theory-informed integrative critical review synthesises historical scholarship, theological analysis, social psychological research, and development literature, incorporating direct experimental evidence concerning White religious iconography and a Jamaica-specific historical assessment. Findings: Existing evidence supports the historical association between racialised sacred representation and colonial authority, while experimental research identifies possible short-term effects on racial attitudes. However, available findings do not establish that Eurocentric religious imagery independently causes diminished educational attainment, economic performance, or national development. Research gap: The relationships among religious imagery, racial identity, institutional socialisation, and measurable developmental outcomes remain insufficiently integrated and causally established in Caribbean contexts. Discussion: The study refines the Religious Representation, Racial Identity, and Development Framework by distinguishing symbolic exposure, psychological mediation, institutional influences, structural inequalities, and developmental outcomes. Conclusion: Eurocentric religious imagery may contribute to the reproduction of racialised symbolic hierarchies under institutional conditions, but its developmental consequences require direct empirical testing. Historical literacy, cultural inclusion, theological diversity, and equitable institutions provide defensible foundations for strengthening Black identity and collective empowerment.