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The Cross
History, Art, and Controversy
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Check link for latest rating. ( 42 ratings, 9 reviews)
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Format: Hardback
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The Cross
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for readers interested in Christian history, religious symbolism, and the cultural impact of faith. It suits scholars, theology students, and anyone curious about the cross's multifaceted role in religion, art, and society.
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See moreThe cross stirs intense feelings among Christians and non-Christians alike. Robin Jensen takes readers on an intellectual and spiritual journey through the 2,000-year evolution of the cross as idea and artifact, illuminating the controversies and forms of devotion this central symbol of Christianity inspires.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
The cross stirs intense feelings among Christians as well as non-Christians. Robin Jensen takes readers on an intellectual and spiritual journey through the two-thousand-year evolution of the cross as an idea and an artefact, illuminating the controversies—along with the forms of devotion—this central symbol of Christianity inspires.
Jesus's death on the cross posed a dilemma for Saint Paul and the early Church fathers. Crucifixion was a humiliating form of execution reserved for slaves and criminals. How could their messiah and saviour have been subjected to such an ignominious death? Wrestling with this paradox, they reimagined the cross as a triumphant expression of Christ's sacrificial love and miraculous resurrection. Over time, the symbol's transformation raised myriad doctrinal questions, particularly about the crucifix—the cross with the figure of Christ—and whether it should emphasise Jesus's suffering or his glorification. How should Jesus's body be depicted: alive or dead, naked or dressed? Should it be shown at all?
Jensen's wide-ranging study focuses on the cross in painting and literature, the quest for the "true cross" in Jerusalem, and the symbol's role in conflicts from the Crusades to wars of colonial conquest. The Cross also reveals how Jews and Muslims viewed the most sacred of all Christian emblems and explains its role in public life in the West today.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Ingrid D. Rowland praises Jensen's book as a "powerful, wide-ranging presentation" revealing the cross's complex meanings—from a grim symbol of suffering to a token of authority and faith across traditions. Robert Kiely calls it an "impeccable work" that is both "learned and lucid," richly illustrated with artistic imagery and well-researched in Western and Eastern Christian traditions. The book is recognised as a moving and erudite study of faith and the symbol's infinite variety of meanings.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674088801
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 17 April 2017
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Illustration: 63 color illustrations
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 235.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 280
Collections
About the Author
Robin M. Jensen is Patrick O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
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