Christian Symbols
11 October 2006 / Church Related Material, eBooks
A symbol is a tangible thing or a physical procedure that has been chosen to represent something else. In the Old Testament we find many symbols. Christian symbols are those symbols or symbolic acts which were practiced by the early church, be it privately or collectively. Most Christian communities practice the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. But in the New Testament we find references to other possible Christian symbols: the covering and uncovering of the head, the kneeling to pray, fasting, raising hands in prayer, laying on of hands, the use of oil, washing of feet, abstention from eating blood, the holy kiss, and more. Are these simply cultural expressions? Could they be understood as “non-verbal language” which should be translated into each culture? Are we free to ignore them? This is an exploratory study. [43 pages]
