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The cross before Constantine : the early life of a Christian symbol / Bruce W. Longenecker.

By: Material type: TextTextDescription: xi, 232 pages : illustrations ; 23 cmISBN:
  • 9781451490305
  • 1451490305
Other title:
  • Early life of a Christian symbol
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 246 23
LOC classification:
  • BV160 .L66 2015
Contents:
The cross in its place -- The cross and non-Christian society -- The cross in a Jewish cradle -- The cross in textual images -- The cross in the material record -- The cross in a Pompeii bakery -- The cross in the literary record -- The cross and its advocates -- A very short conclusion.
Summary: "Upending a longstanding consensus, Bruce W. Longenecker presents a wide variety of material artifacts to illustrate that Christians made use of the cross as a visual symbol of their faith long before Constantine appropriated it to consolidate his power in the fourth century. Constantine did not invent the cross as a symbol of Christian faith; for an impressive number of Christians before Constantine's reign, the cross served as a visual symbol of commitment to a living deity in a dangerous world."--Back cover.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Materials specified Status
E-Book E-Book Reformational Study Centre General library 246 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) The Early Life of a Christian Symbol Available

Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-206) and indexes.

The cross in its place -- The cross and non-Christian society -- The cross in a Jewish cradle -- The cross in textual images -- The cross in the material record -- The cross in a Pompeii bakery -- The cross in the literary record -- The cross and its advocates -- A very short conclusion.

"Upending a longstanding consensus, Bruce W. Longenecker presents a wide variety of material artifacts to illustrate that Christians made use of the cross as a visual symbol of their faith long before Constantine appropriated it to consolidate his power in the fourth century. Constantine did not invent the cross as a symbol of Christian faith; for an impressive number of Christians before Constantine's reign, the cross served as a visual symbol of commitment to a living deity in a dangerous world."--Back cover.

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