History of the Cross [Paperback]

Henry Dana Ward (Author), Paul Tice (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

As many have suspected, there is much more to the true, authentic history of the Christian religion than what we had originally been told. Some claims regarding the Church's history are accurate, some are not. The most extreme claims against the religion come from the atheist camp and often remain unproved. But this book is completely different. It comes from a devout Christian, Henry Dana Ward, a believer in Christ who backs himself up with scholarly research and facts.

Why, then, was this book written if it goes against traditional beliefs and acceptance? It is because the traditional beliefs surrounding the cross and its worship are wrong! It took time for us to eventually accept the cross in its current form and to worship it and, according to Ward, this was a pagan symbol that should never have been adopted.

Idols were not to be worshipped by the earliest of Christians, and the cross was no exception to this rule. Not worshipping the cross is consistent with early Christianity and is not heretical. Its lack of worship is part of Christianity's foundational beliefs and its exclusion should be part of the religion's current structure, according to Ward. Revering the cross is based on lies, deception, and ignorance. Ward shows how the lies began, who spread them, and how and why they did it. This book has not been in print since 1871. At the time it was released, books of this sort, which challenged accepted belief, were often banned from libraries and people were known to be arrested for sending them in the mail.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Book Tree (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585090565
• ISBN-13: 978-1585090563
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #974,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Christianity Corrupted by Paganism?, May 12, 2006

By 

Michael R. Davenport (Flagstaff, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the Cross (Paperback)

Is it truly possible that Christianity may have been influenced and corrupted ny paganism? Yeah, it's not only possible - it's incredibly well-documented! Ward's book presents compelling evidence to that effect in regard to the cross. His writing style (typical of 19th century)was sometimes a bit too flowery and labored - often redundant. But, for the most part, he tells it like it is.
If you love your traditional Christianity with all of its pagan embellishments, you may want to avoid this book. I won't vouch for the accuracy of every detai, but if you want to know the truth, you will get a heavy dose of it here. Definitely worth the read.
I'm not anti-Christian, by the way, I just object to paganism being assimilated into Christian religion. The cross is just one example of many.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Near Idolatry?, June 9, 2005

By 

Dan Bradshaw "Dan" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the Cross (Paperback)

Challenging accepted belief in its time, this previously banished book has not been in print since 1871 and has been apparently reproduced from a single remaining copy. Henry Ward is extremely passionate on the subject he writes about, and at the same time is passionate in his belief in Jesus Christ. He goes to great length to demonstrate the gradual use of the cross from a pagan symbol in the pre-Christian era to become a world-wide symbol of Christianity today. He shows that it was not until the 4th century that we see the first use of the cross, and nearly three centuries later before, "the public heart became so hardened as to allow an image of our Saviour suspended on the cross." It first inspired horror, then was tolerated, then reverenced, then loved, and eventually worshipped. Idols, or "any material image or fancied likeness, made by the hands of man, to represent the invisible Person or things of the Godhead," were strictly prohibited by Israel and the earliest Christians, and the cross was no exception, especially its worship. The research and references are impressive for his time. Besides scriptural references, he makes his case on many fronts-from writings of the very earliest Christians through Constantine, to replicas of symbols used through the ages, to the increasing use of the cross used on millions of tombs under Rome, but again, not until the latter years of the 4th century. He claims that if the Christians of the time of Christ did not use the symbol of the instrument of the Saviors suffering and death, then we should not either. He uses the logic that if the Lord were shot, should we then use the symbol of the gun to revere Him? This more befits His enemies than His friends. He is fair to the arguments in favor of the use of the cross and addresses these as well. The children of Israel just could not resist the urge to have their tangible golden calf by which to send their devotions. Are we so different in our worship today? This book is well worth the time and consideration of any believing Christian.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cross Exposed, August 20, 2007

By 

F. Nicholas (Senatobia, MS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the Cross (Paperback)

I found the logic compelling and historicity of the introduction of pagan, Babylonish tradition into Christ's church (The Way) undeniable. It also is borne out by other scholars such as Alexander Hislop in his book The Two Babylons. I would have scored the work higher, but the language, of course, was archaic insomuch as it was written in the 1800's, but it was deciferable. There were some unsubstantiated opinions in a couple areas, but overall a great tool of enlightenment.