This thesis is a textual analysis of the appearance of Jesus as a character in the television series South Park. By comparing Jaroslav Pelikan's images of Jesus as outlined in his book Jesus Through the Centuries with the image of Jesus presented in South Park, the thesis begins to explain Jesus' new role in popular culture as opposed to his historical appearance in what Pelikan presents as "high art." The thesis argues that while the creators of South Park often depict Jesus in a sarcastic and often irreverent manner, the images they present resemble Pelikan's images in key ways.

Chapter One introduces the role of religion in television and the depiction of Jesus in film, showing how South Park serves as a point of departure from the typical images of Jesus in visual media. Chapter Two explores the first major depiction of Jesus in South Park, what Pelikan describes as Jesus as Rabbi, or Jesus as he appears in a teacher role on his public access show Jesus and Pals. Chapters Three and Four explore interconnectimg images of Jesus crucified and the evolution of Jesus as liberator, demonstrating how the creators of South Park engage with an American conceptualization of Jesus as a masculine fighter. The thesis concludes that while Jesus is depicted irreverently, this irreverence is a mechanism to critique not Jesus himself, but contemporary American Christianity as a whole.