Catholics & Catholicism

Question:

                                                               JMJ Read this in alt.religion.christian.episcopal I am a Presbyterian with a question I am hoping someone could answer. I have often wondered at the history and the theology behind the use of the crucifix in Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches. Is there a Bible reason for it, or some other tradition?  When did this practice originate, and why? Not sure if anybody knows where it started – they’ve been used forever. There are 2 types – "Christus triumphans," in which Christ is upright, and victorius, and sometimes crowned.  This is intended to signify that this is actually his moment of victory.  The other type, which a more realistic depiction of a crucifixion, is called "Christus passiens."  These are much later. The oldest crucufixes are ALL the triumphant type, and the realistic depictions came later.

"…….But the use of the Crucifix was not general before the 6th century, and the representation of Our Lord suffering or dead is yet more recent ; it began about the 13th century and only became general with the Spanish From "A Catholic Encyclopedic Dictionary" 1945 edition, Attwater Also, what do the initials INRI on the crucifix stand for ? Latin for "Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm"  (Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum), which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Jim Carerw sfo

Response:

Read this in alt.religion.christian.episcopal I am a Presbyterian with a question I am hoping someone could answer. I have often wondered at the history and the theology behind the use of the crucifix in Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches. Is there a Bible reason for it, or some other tradition?  When did this practice originate, and why?

Not sure if anybody knows where it started – they’ve been used forever.  There are 2 types – "Christus triumphans," in which Christ is upright, and victorius, and sometimes crowned.  This is intended to signify that this is actually his moment of victory.  The other type, which a more realistic depiction of a crucifixion, is called "Christus passiens."  These are much later.  The oldest crucufixes are ALL the triumphant type, and the realistic depictions came later. Also, what do the initials INRI on the crucifix stand for ?

Latin for "Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm"  (Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum), which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Response:

I am a Presbyterian with a question I am hoping someone could answer. I have often wondered at the history and the theology behind the use of the crucifix in Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches. Is there a Bible reason for it, or some other tradition?  When did this practice originate, and why? Also, what do the initials INRI on the crucifix stand for ? I don’t get the chance to read this newsgroup often. In addition to your   post, could you e-mail your response to  ab531{at}chebucto{dot}ns{dot}ca  ? (The e-mail address up top in the header does not work.)  Could you mention which newsgroup you saw my post in ? Thanking you in advance, MacK.                               MKS/mks                                                         <<

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