I enjoyed the scholarly smugness in Longenecker’s chapter. He repeatedly pointed to scholars that insisted the cross was not used in Christian art before Constantine and responded with evidence to the contrary. I am very curious about Christian Gnosticism, because I don’t really have any previous knowledge of their theology and cosmogony. Pierce did not recognize these examples of the cross pre-Constantine, only mentioning its use as a symbol of mockery. Also, the language she used in describing the Crusades grabbed my attention, as it seemed decidedly on the side of Christian “liberation” of the “Holy Land”.
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