Symbols of Christianity

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Symbols of Christianity are symbols of various kinds that have acquired a special reference to Christianity through certain historical events, biblical or mythical stories and linguistic similarities . They can either have their symbolic meaning exclusively in the Christian area or in other areas.

Important Christian symbols

One of the oldest Christian inscriptions, it shows the symbols fish and anchor and the inscription ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ (The Fish of the Living) as a creed
  • The cross is the most important symbol of Christianity because it reminds of the death of Jesus on the cross and thus of the central element of Christian faith. It can be found in almost every church in several places and in different designs, from the altar cross to the cross-shaped floor plan of the church.
  • The fish ( Ichthys ) was already used by the early Christians as a distinguishing mark, because every letter of the Greek word for fish (ἰχθύς) is also the first letter of a word, so that a knowledge of faith results; IΗΣΟΎΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΌΣ ΘΕΟΎ ΥΙΌΣ ΣΩΤΉΡ (Eng .: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior"). Even today the fish is often used again as a distinguishing mark for Christians, for example in the form of bumper stickers or T-shirt prints.
  • The alpha and omega serves as a symbol of the all-embracing God and has its origin in the Revelation of John, where Christ is referred to as "the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end".
  • The Christ monogram is also specifically a symbol for Jesus Christ, since the Greek letters XP are also the first letters of the word Χριστός ("Christ"). It often appears in conjunction with the Alpha and Omega.

Occurrence and uses

Most Christian symbols appear inside church rooms, either as independent objects (e.g. crucifix) or in connection with other liturgical objects or works of art (e.g. pictures). In some cases there are works of art, for example from the Renaissance, which can only be recognized as actually Christian images because of the interspersed Christian symbols. The artist, who worked on behalf of the church, was given the opportunity to design the motif of his picture largely freely - even without references to Christianity - and to adapt it to the religious purpose only by adding a few Christian symbols.

On tombstones

Many Christian symbols are often depicted on gravestones in order to give the deceased a message. In addition to the symbols shown above, there are some commonly used symbols:

tree
The tree is the symbol of resurrection and immortality, as new buds grow on a tree every year. It is also a sign of peace and blessing.
Angel
The angel is the messenger of God and people see an angel as a demigod. He is a messenger of fate because of the transmission of good news or the warning of negative events. He is considered a comforter, protector and helper, for example in the form of a guardian angel.
Ginkgo leaf
The ginkgo leaf is considered the oldest fossil on earth and is therefore a symbol of eternal life.
Praying hands
The praying hands are a sign of trust in God. They embody the prayers and intercessions that loved ones pray for the deceased.
heart
The heart symbolizes affection and love, even after death.
candle
The candle brings light and thus life. In connection with the eternal light, it embodies the presence of God. At the same time, the candle is a symbol of impermanence. In popular belief, the candle is a means of warding off spirits and demons.
lily
The lily symbolizes purity and innocence, especially in its white form. It is also a sign for the chosen one.
rose
The rose is a symbol of love, beauty and purity (going beyond death). Because of its thorns, it also represents suffering.
Dove
The dove is a sign of peace and freedom. In the form of the white dove, it means purity. In addition, it often stands for the Holy Spirit and thus the presence of God.
water
The water is a symbol of cleansing from sins. Without water there is no life, therefore water is the source of life and the elixir of life.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Symbols and their meaning ( Memento of the original from October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.grabsteinfinder.de

literature

  • Eric Newton, William Neil: 2000 Years of Christian Art. Georg DW Callwey, Munich 1967.

Web links

Commons : Symbols of Christianity  - collection of images, videos and audio files