Crucifix or Empty Cross?

[MineralMan]

Which of those people see up at the front of the sanctuary says a lot about the philosophy of their respective denominations. It's not a subtle difference, either.

If there's a crucifix, complete with a corpus christi, the focus is on the death of the Christ figure. Congregants are encouraged to contemplate the cruel end of that life and their own guilt.

If the cross is empty, then the focus is on the resurrection, rather than the crucifixion. The focus is on salvation, rather than guilt. That can be seen, as well, in how the whole story is presented.

Most members of congregations never think about the difference. They are used to seeing one or the other. But it's interesting to compare denominations, based on that element, I think.

It's interesting to me that the Lutheran Church, the product of the Reformation, has a mixed presentation. In some Lutheran churches, you'll see a crucifix, while in others, you find an empty cross. I talked about that once with a Lutheran pastor. His explanation was a little cloudy, though. Clearly, he had thought about this, but had no really clear opinion on the matter.

[calimary]

1. Thats the first thing I noticed, as a Catholic, when I first visited

The neighborhood Presbyteries church. No icons. No statues. No paintings. No sculptures. No gewgaws. I’d joke about that with some of our friends who were members of that church. They sweetly suggested that because I was such a conflicted Catholic and shared a lot of their views that I should come and join up. I said I’ll be right over as soon as they finish decorating.

[MineralMan]

2. Yes. Most Presbyterian church sanctuaries are unadorned.

It's interesting. I attended one all through my childhood and teen years. Across the street was a very traditional Catholic church. The difference was remarkable. Stations of the Cross, statuary and all sorts of art there.

Now, as an atheist, I think about those differences in a different perspective than I did then. It's interesting to contemplate the approaches both took while thinking about the liturgies and focuses of each.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. It also has a lot to do with the post-Reformation Protestants' rejection

of what they considered to be "idolatry," that is, the depiction and worship of a human figure. The Corpus was considered to be idolatrous and "popish" and therefore unacceptable. There was a strain of Lutheranism called Pietism that went out of its way to reject anything that smacked of Catholicism, and those churches tended to be pretty spare and plain. You'll see that tendency still in some Lutheran churches that have a Scandinavian background. Pietism and anti-Catholicism in general also influenced the Calvinist Protestant denominations in the same way. The Anglican church and its American offshoot, the Episcopal Church, didn't go that far and many, if not most, still keep "Catholic" symbols. I get the theological concept of the Corpus, but when you think about it, it seems kind of creepy to have depictions of some guy being tortured to death as its central symbol.

[MineralMan]

4. I suspect that the attitudes about the crucifix are formed

by what you are used to. I don't think most people ponder a lot about such things. Still, you are correct that many branches of Protestantism actively tried to rid themselves of what they saw as Catholicism. You can see it in the liturgy, itself, too. Many Protestant churches, for example, have rid themselves of all of the sacramental rites, or at least have minimized them. Communion is offered in some Protestant denominations only once a year, for example, around Passover, to commemorate the Last Supper. The rest of the liturgical year, it is not offered. Others do it on a monthly basis or some such. However most Lutheran and Episcopal churches retain the weekly celebration.

Such things are interesting.

[Igel]

5. What would you say about an entirely aniconic Xian group?

No statues.

No crosses or crucifixes. (When they've had to go to another church for services, they throw a sheet over the cross that's already there.)

As for your observation, I think I've seen the point made before, but it's more one of emphasis in some denominations. You sort of inherit what you inherit, most groups don't much change traditions.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes. And some churches don't allow any music, either.

It's all very interesting.

[Mariana]

7. I can understand why they would do that.

The Commandment against graven images exists for a reason, and that is the tendency of people to place too much importance on the objects, rather than the more abstract things the objects are supposed to represent. This becomes evident every time the courts rule that a monument to the Ten Commandments, or a cross, or some other such illegal government promotion of religion be removed from public property. Just pay attention to what the protesters say whenever a case like this comes up - they wail and cry and rage just as if the object IS their god! This isn't confined to religion, of course, we see pretty much the same thing with the flag "worship" that goes on all the time.