From Idols to Icons: The Emergence of Christian Devotional Images in Late Antiquity

— —

Robin M. Jensen

From Idols to Icons

The Emergence of Christian Devotional Images in Late Antiquity

Robin M. Jensen

$107.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University of California Press
25 November 2022

Religious subjects depicted in art; Christianity; Christian worship, rites & ceremonies; Christian life & practice

Series: Christianity in Late Antiquity

Even the briefest glance at an art museum’s holdings or an introductory history textbook demonstrates the profound influence of Christian images and art. From Idols to Icons tells the fascinating history of the dramatic shift in Christian attitudes toward sacred images from the third through the early seventh century. From attacks on the cult images of polytheism to the emergence of Christian narrative iconography to the appearance of portrait-type representations of holy figures, this book examines the primary theological critiques and defenses of holy images in light of the surviving material evidence for early Christian visual art. Against the previous assumption that fourth- and fifth-century Christians simply forgot or ignored their predecessors’ censure and reverted to more alluring pagan practices, Robin M. Jensen contends that each stage of this profound change was uniquely Christian. Through a careful consideration of the cults of saints’ remains, devotional portraits, and pilgrimages to sacred sites, Jensen shows how the Christian devotion to holy images came to be rooted in their evolving conviction that the divine was accessible in and through visible objects.

By: Robin M. Jensen
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Volume: 12
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 408g
ISBN: 9780520345423
ISBN 10: 0520345428
Series: Christianity in Late Antiquity
Pages: 252
Publication Date: 25 November 2022
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robin M. Jensen is Patrick O’Brien Professor of Theology and Fellow at the Medieval Institute and the Nanovic Institute, University of Notre Dame.

Reviews for From Idols to Icons: The Emergence of Christian Devotional Images in Late Antiquity

""Elegantly designed and replete with full-color illustrations (many photographs by the author), From Idols to Icons…will ignite scholarly dialogue beyond traditional disciplinary categories and methodologies into the foreseeable future."" * CHOICE * ""This richly illustrated and subtly argued account…commends itself, and the author’s commitment to, and, indeed, affection for, her subject illuminates the text as it does the images."" * Reading Religion * ""The book stands out for its clarity and for providing a very useful and thought-provoking synthesis on much debated topics."" * The Catholic Historical Review * ""In this fine book, art historian and scholar of early Christianity Robin M. Jensen explores, in eight richly illustrated chapters, the development of Christian sacral art as well as learned discourse about it, over the course of the first six centuries of the churches."" * The Thomist * ""Jensen expertly uses images and tests to question traditional understandings of Christians' attitudes toward depictions of the Divine and illuminates the complexity of the intertwined issues of the art, idolatry, and violence justified by both polytheists and Christians."" * Anglican and Episcopal History *