Understanding Early Christian Art.

Understanding Early Christian Art
Robin Margaret Jensen
Routledge, $25.99, 221 pp.

Early Christian art, as Robin Jensen understands it, falls into two rather distinct chronological periods: the pre-Constantinian art of the third and fourth centuries and the early Byzantine period which runs roughly from the mid-fourth century to the early sixth century. In the earlier period, the subject of the surviving visual artifacts falls into four categories: (1) borrowings from the pagan world; (2) neutral images which most likely have a Christian emphasis (for example, the anchor, dove, or olive branch); (3) biblical narratives; (4) portraits of Christ and the saints. The more crucial question of interpretation, of course, is why certain subjects were chosen and what they meant. Were depictions of the three young men in the fiery furnace or Susanna and the falsely accusing elders an allusion to persecution or did such representations have an eschatological significance, or both? Was the art after Constantine's edict of toleration subtle propaganda for imperial power or did it reflect the orthodoxy emerging from the Christological debates and their conciliar resolution? Why was there so little reference to the cross (and almost none to the crucifixion) in early Christian art? What doctrinal understandings stood behind the depiction of Christ as Orpheus or Helios or the seated philosopher or lawgiver? Further, how did the transition come about from Christ as a beardless youth to one who was bearded? How did early Christian art depict the Resurrection?

Jensen discusses these questions and others in an orderly, careful, and clear manner. Her extensive notes indicate how carefully she has looked at the scholarly record and the text shows how judiciously she assesses contending opinions. To cite one example, the discussion of the frequent use of the image of the fish goes beyond the obvious explanation of the acronym by which the Greek word ichthys stands for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." Jensen reminds us of how much the baptismal sermons of both the Latin and Greek fathers relied on the symbolism of fish and water. The fish sometimes depicted in meal scenes in the catacombs--most famously in the catacombs of Priscilla--is plausibly understood to refer to the post-Resurrection meals of Jesus described in John's Gospel and hint of the messianic banquet for those whose bodies lie in the underground cemeteries. Such scenes, Jensen argues, are not eucharistic but eschatological (why not both?).

I often use examples of early Christian art from the works of Gradon Snyder and F. van der Meer in my classes. To those surveys I will now add this excellent book. Jensen is careful to give all plausible scholarly opinions an honest hearing but is not afraid to express her own judgment.

Lawrence S. Cunningham teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame.