Early Christian imagery

Running head : EARLY CHRISTIAN ART

Early Christian Art

[name]

[institution]

[professor]

[course] Early Christian Art

The present state of Christianity is completely different to its past During the early years of Christianity , Christians were persecuted for their faith . Due to heavy persecution , early Christians had to use some kind of secret communication . This had given way to the birth of Early Christian art

Due to the proximity in the timeline , Early Christian art had shown much influence from Byzantine art . However , Early Christian art had to

undergo change during the Late Antiquity in the Roman Empire . Much of the early Christian Art in the Late Antiquity was influenced by the prevalence of wars and political instability (Spier 2007 . Since there was no more need for secrecy , Early Christian art had become more focused on politics rather than the religion

During the early years of Christianity , storytelling was regarded as the most effective way of mass communication . Written language was still unavailable for the consumption of all , thus people had used Oral narratives to communicate and preserve cultural ideas . One of the propagated stories was that of Christianity . On the other hand , symbols were used to avoid persecution from those against Christianity . Through storytelling and symbols , early Christian artists were able to continue their faith and avoid persecution at the same time

Perhaps two of the most common symbols in Early Christian art are the dove , lamb , and the fish . The dove was used as a symbol for purity and peace , something of high value to Christians . On the other hand , the fish was used as a symbol for Christ . The fish had become an ingenious symbol for Christ as it symbolizes the last supper and the water used for Christian baptism . And lastly , the lamb had become another symbol for Christ , particularly when he had bled during the crucifixion . In addition to that , the lamb could also serve as a symbolism for Christians wherein Christ is the good shepherd

Reference

Spier , Jeffrey (2007 . Picturing the Bible : the earliest Christian art Connecticut : Yale University

Press

Early Christian Art PAGE \ MERGEFORMAT 1...