| 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. |
| Abstract |
"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. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-206) and indexes. |
| ISBN | 9781451490305 (paperback) |
| ISBN | 1451490305 (paperback) |
