The “Barabbas Delusion” reconsidered: A Nicene response to political and ideological distortions of Jesus Christ’s redemption

Abstract

This article revisits the enduring theological and missional importance of the Nicene Creed, even seventeen centuries after its origin. It focuses on a recurring Christological crisis known as the “Barabbas Delusion”. Inspired by the biblical account of the crowd choosing Barabbas over Jesus (Mt 27:17), this delusion highlights the ongoing temptation within the Church to favour politically or culturally driven messianic figures instead of the crucified and risen Lord. By tracing this pattern throughout history, particularly within Christian Zionism, Apartheid Theology, Liberation and Black Theology, the Prosperity Gospel, and identity-based tribalism, the article suggests that such distortions indicate a shift away from the high Christology affirmed at Nicaea. The Nicene Creed’s declaration of Jesus as “true God from true God” is presented here not just as doctrinal nostalgia but as a theological guide that counters ideological captivity and reorients the Church’s identity and mission amid an era of post-Christendom, global Christianity, and ideological confusion. The article concludes by urging a Christ-centred mission renewal rooted in Nicene faith.