(August 20, 2011 at 6:55 pm)Minimalist Wrote: by Toto at Freethought and Rationalism.
http://phdiva.blogspot.com/2011/08/early...ixion.html
Quote:Early depictions of the Passion of Christ tended to omit the crucifixion, and there are very few representations of it in the Early Christian and Early Byzantine period. The Basque Crucifixion was shown to be a modern fake created by Basque separatists; who's represented in the Alexamenos Graffito will never be certain, nor can it be dated with much certainty; and the fresco in a tomb on the Esquiline pre-dates the Christian period by several centuries. Several graffiti from Pompeii mention crucifixion but as a Roman insult or punishment (source). Although the Romans used crucifixion regularly, again in pre-Christian art it was very rarely depicted. There are very few images of crucifixion, and not all can be linked to Jesus' crucifixion.
Yes, very true, Christians did not really use the cross as a symbol until around 420 AD. The early focus of the church was on the resurrection and symbols of life, which is a trend that can still be seen in the Eastern Orthodox church today. In fact, this emphasis on life was present throughout the history of the church in the east, with the western church centered in Rome being responsible for the rise of the cross as a symbol.
The rise in the use of the cross as a symbol and the emphasis on martyrs came at the same time as the rise of Christian Nominalism (Christians is name only) when it became socially favorable to convert to Christianity due to the influence of the emperor. Previous generations of Christians that remembered the "good ol' days" of being a rag-tag group of truly dedicated people wanted ways to bring back the feeling of dedication and sacrifice to the church. This led to the rise of the monastic movement and a subsequent increase in imagery that was related to sacrifice, i.e. the crucifixion and martyrs.
This is a really interesting topic, I was studying it at some length last year. That article you found is a great little overview of early Christian art.
