Power of the Cross

For nearly two millennia, Christians have honored both the Cross of Christ and images of it. In Power of the Cross, author Mary Hallick traces not only the history of the True Cross, but also the wide variety of images of crosses and their use in public and personal Christian worship. Early Christians used the sign of the cross to identify themselves. Yet Constantine’s vision of the cross in 312 was a turning point in the cross’s prominence and symbolic use. Once Helena discovered the True Cross of Christ in Jerusalem, the Church established specific feast days to honor and “elevate” it. In addition to following the turbulent history of the True Cross—which was captured and recaptured many times—the book also explains the cross’s significance in the spiritual lives of Christians. With the help of illustrations and descriptions of cross shapes and types from historical Christianity and from other religions and cultures, as well as a timeline of Christian history, a glossary of terms, and a bibliography for further studies, readers can explore the cross on their own, and parents and teachers can guide younger readers.