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The Cross: History, Art, and Controversy
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 artifact, 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 savior 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 emphasize Jesus’s suffering or his glorification. How should Jesus’s body be 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.
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 savior 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 emphasize Jesus’s suffering or his glorification. How should Jesus’s body be 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.
280 pages, Hardcover
Published April 17, 2017
42 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Robin M. Jensen
30 books4 followersRobin M. Jensen (PhD, Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary) is Luce Chancellor’s Professor of the History of Christian Art and Worship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has authored several books, including Face to Face: Portraits of the Divine in Early Christianity and Understanding Early Christian Art.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 17, 2018
This is a remarkable book, and an important one in my view. In our increasingly visual society, Christians need to look and think carefully about the place of images, especially the chief icon of the Christian Church, the cross.
Jensen does a good job of outlining the history of the cross as symbol, all the way up through modern times. If I have a criticism of the book, it is that little effort is given to the post-Reformation period. I would like to know more about how the Enlightenment and Rationalism impacted the use of the cross in churches.
Probably the strength of the book was the first thousand years of history. There was a lot about the iconoclastic controversy that I didn’t know, and even about crucifix versus empty cross arguments made in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Although I am biased here, I also appreciated the largely positive view given to Luther and his followers.
All in all, this is a great book and a welcome addition to any discussion of aesthetics and the place of image in Christian Theology.
Jensen does a good job of outlining the history of the cross as symbol, all the way up through modern times. If I have a criticism of the book, it is that little effort is given to the post-Reformation period. I would like to know more about how the Enlightenment and Rationalism impacted the use of the cross in churches.
Probably the strength of the book was the first thousand years of history. There was a lot about the iconoclastic controversy that I didn’t know, and even about crucifix versus empty cross arguments made in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Although I am biased here, I also appreciated the largely positive view given to Luther and his followers.
All in all, this is a great book and a welcome addition to any discussion of aesthetics and the place of image in Christian Theology.
November 22, 2017
A wide-ranging examination of the complex imagery of the cross and crucifixion in the contexts of art, culture, history, Christian theology, and other religions. Erudite but quite accessible.
March 30, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed Robin M. Jensen’s book, “The Cross: History, Art, and Controversy.” It was fresh, enlightening, and interesting. I found that it was most useful as a resource for studying particular time periods and worship practices, though I certainly got a lot out of it by reading it cover-to-cover.
The book moves along at a steady clip: it progresses quickly and fluidly from one topic to the next, while maintaining a sense of continuity by building new information onto what’s just been said. Because it addresses such a ubiquitous symbol over such a long time period, it doesn’t dwell overly long on any one topic.
The early chapters of the book address the ideology of the cross and how it came to be a symbol of Christianity; the middle of the book is more about particular representations of the cross, such as gemmed crosses and medieval crosses. These middle chapters lose focus somewhat, becoming more vague than the beginning of the book. Again, this is because there is just so much ground to cover historically. By the end, however, the discussion returns to ideology—the reasons behind certain cross practices—and Jensen’s incisive prose and interesting revelations return.
The many full-color illustrations in this book enhance its overall message. Since it’s a book about the art of the cross, it’s only natural that it would require artistic representations. Jensen did a great job at selecting which images to include. Seeing photos of particular works of art alongside the descriptions of their significance in a broader historical context reinforced the points Jensen was making.
This book is a historical summary, not a liturgical mandate. It is intended for a broad audience irrespective of faith. However, as I read it, I found my own faith in Christ and the crucifixion strengthened. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the book, especially for people looking to use it as a guide for specific information in research.
The book moves along at a steady clip: it progresses quickly and fluidly from one topic to the next, while maintaining a sense of continuity by building new information onto what’s just been said. Because it addresses such a ubiquitous symbol over such a long time period, it doesn’t dwell overly long on any one topic.
The early chapters of the book address the ideology of the cross and how it came to be a symbol of Christianity; the middle of the book is more about particular representations of the cross, such as gemmed crosses and medieval crosses. These middle chapters lose focus somewhat, becoming more vague than the beginning of the book. Again, this is because there is just so much ground to cover historically. By the end, however, the discussion returns to ideology—the reasons behind certain cross practices—and Jensen’s incisive prose and interesting revelations return.
The many full-color illustrations in this book enhance its overall message. Since it’s a book about the art of the cross, it’s only natural that it would require artistic representations. Jensen did a great job at selecting which images to include. Seeing photos of particular works of art alongside the descriptions of their significance in a broader historical context reinforced the points Jensen was making.
This book is a historical summary, not a liturgical mandate. It is intended for a broad audience irrespective of faith. However, as I read it, I found my own faith in Christ and the crucifixion strengthened. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the book, especially for people looking to use it as a guide for specific information in research.
June 2, 2023
A fascinating history of the Christian Cross as emblem and symbol.
Some would be surprised to find that the cross was not the first symbol of the Christian faith...it was the lamb, the Pelican and the anchor. But by the 4th century, the crucifix made its entrance. At first the figure on the cross was a clothed, wide awake body staring out at us. Reminded me of the crucifix I found in my Oratory room that had a figure of the glorious Christ mounted to the cross.
The crucifix suffered the extremes of the iconoclastic controversies of the 8/9th centuries, but emerged in the middle ages with the suffering, nearly naked figure of Jesus mounted to the cross with nails, wearing his crown of thorns. The advent of the Friars began a series of devotions to this suffering, very human figure that culminated in the still popular devotion...Stations of the Cross.
The crusades popularized the Cross as a battle symbol and rallying totem.
The book addresses the Protestant rejection of the corpse on the cross, as well as the Islamic and Asian reactions to the cross.
The writing is fluid and informative. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the new universal symbol in the Western World.
Some would be surprised to find that the cross was not the first symbol of the Christian faith...it was the lamb, the Pelican and the anchor. But by the 4th century, the crucifix made its entrance. At first the figure on the cross was a clothed, wide awake body staring out at us. Reminded me of the crucifix I found in my Oratory room that had a figure of the glorious Christ mounted to the cross.
The crucifix suffered the extremes of the iconoclastic controversies of the 8/9th centuries, but emerged in the middle ages with the suffering, nearly naked figure of Jesus mounted to the cross with nails, wearing his crown of thorns. The advent of the Friars began a series of devotions to this suffering, very human figure that culminated in the still popular devotion...Stations of the Cross.
The crusades popularized the Cross as a battle symbol and rallying totem.
The book addresses the Protestant rejection of the corpse on the cross, as well as the Islamic and Asian reactions to the cross.
The writing is fluid and informative. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the new universal symbol in the Western World.
September 7, 2017
The cross is one of the most recognisable “brands” in human history. Robin Jensen’s book explores the various ways it has been used to inspire, intimidate, protect and terrorize people throughout the history of the church. There are varieties of crosses, stark wooden ones, bejewelled ones, large and small ones. There are crosses with Jesus on them and those without. Sometimes Jesus looks wide awake and almost in control and others show him with eyes closed, wracked in pain. Each version of the cross reflects a theological or political message the artist (or the powerful people or system behind the artist) was seeking to communicate.
Through the story of the cross the author conveys the way Christendom usurped the message of Jesus.
I found it compelling reading.
Through the story of the cross the author conveys the way Christendom usurped the message of Jesus.
I found it compelling reading.
November 5, 2025
A fascinating study of art history focused on the meanings and representations of the cross and its ensuing controversies as a symbol throughout the ages. It’s complicated; and this discussion needs to be revisited sometime soon.
The Tree of Life grows
In the land of mystery;
There we were created;
There we were born.
There He-by-whom-all-things-live
Spins the thread of our lives . . .
You have become the Tree of Life.
Dying, you have been born again.
Swaying, you spread your branches
And stand before the Giver-of-all-life.
In your boughs our home shall be:
We will be your flowers.
—Angel María Garibay
The Tree of Life grows
In the land of mystery;
There we were created;
There we were born.
There He-by-whom-all-things-live
Spins the thread of our lives . . .
You have become the Tree of Life.
Dying, you have been born again.
Swaying, you spread your branches
And stand before the Giver-of-all-life.
In your boughs our home shall be:
We will be your flowers.
—Angel María Garibay
October 18, 2017
Excellent in the beginning, but lost steam around the Reformation. I would have loved to hear how the cross was viewed/understood during the Enlightenment or during the Pentecostal movement in the United States. Or how more on how the cross is evoked in contemporary politics, art, and Christian worship.
March 20, 2023
I read this book on my Kindle app--may have purchased it through Early Bird books--not sure about that. It was a wonderful read. The illustrations added so much to my appreciation. Jensen took many of the photos herself. It must have been a travel adventure to seek out the mosaics, monuments, sarcophagi, and paintings that she features.
Read
May 20, 2018Great look at how the view of the cross has changed over time, and the implications for faith and society.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews