The Sign of the Cross: The Gesture, the Mystery, the History (Hardcover)

by Andreas Andreopoulos (Author)
Key Phrases: desert monks, repentant thief, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Holy Trinity (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The sign of the Cross, the tracing of the Cross of Christ onto the body, is a private and public gesture of blessing that millions of Christians do during worship and throughout their day. Greek scholar and practicing Orthodox Christian Andreopoulos explores the history, symbolism, and meaning of the gesture in this short book. He finds the sign one of the most fascinating elements of ritual symbolism, one that "combines simplicity and profound meaning to a greater extent than any other symbol." The book succeeds at translating the significance of the sign of the Cross into something personal and immediate. Especially poignant are the pages he devotes to his own understanding of the gesture, how he learned it from his grandfather, and what it means to him personally as an act of sanctification and reminder of the sacrifice of Christ and the mystery of the Trinity. He covers the history and theology of the sign in depth, satisfying the most curious scholars; however, some of his intellectual commentaries might lose the general reader. Although Andreopoulos writes from an Orthodox perspective, he presents the material in an ecumenical way, inspiring both churched and unchurched readers who wish to better understand the importance of the liturgical experience of the sign of the Cross.
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From Booklist
Roman Catholics cross themselves with an open hand, the Eastern Orthodox with two fingers and thumb extended and the smaller fingers against the palm. Most Protestants and others know that the movement of hand from shoulder to shoulder is done left to right by Catholics, right to left by Orthodox, but do they know the significance of the direction of movement for either? Or what the groups of fingers in the Orthodox hand configuration represent? The answers to those questions are among the first things Andreopoulos imparts in his sparkling little book on the most practiced nonverbal Christian prayer. Explaining the gesture's meanings and history yields to a discussion of why Christianity has needed symbols and signs through the ages. That yields to discourse on the sign of the cross as a prayer that joins the believer with all Christians in the kingdom of God and, finally, on the cross as a vehicle for contemplation of the mystery of salvation. Throughout, Andreopoulos' writing is as inspiriting as a restorative benediction. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA); annotated edition edition (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557254966
• ISBN-13: 978-1557254962
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #569,542 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual and Religious Understanding, November 20, 2007

By	Tom G (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Wonderful as either an introduction to, or deeper exploration of, a fundamental Christian practice.
I highlight only the best thoughts in a book, but ended with highlights on almost every page. (Only one point seemed to me as just a little "off the mark".)
I feel that the author expresses the essence of a personal relationship with the divine (aka religion) in the context of a personal/public practice proven to promote such a relationship.
Regardless of how frequently one may make this sign (if ever), this discussion of it should motivate increased trial and practice with it.
How better to realize the presence, service, and protection of the King?

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Orthodoxy and the Sign of the Cross, November 2, 2007

By	Eleanor Cavin - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The gestures, the mystery, the history of the sign of the cross with emphasis from life among Orthodoxy. Wonderful. Light reading with pointers for more information. Glad I bought it. A useful, short exploration of bringing our physical bodies in line with worshipful practices.

I recommended it friedns and loand it to friends. It was very well received.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Long to Cross Himself, June 18, 2009

By	Michael P. Korn "JesusOverIsrael.blogspot.com" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After completing this book, I have decided that it is not well written, even though it covers a very important topic.

The style is very awkward and difficult to comprehend. There are some spelling and diction mistakes, perhaps because the author is a native Greek speaker, but his publisher Paraclete Press should have picked it up and corrected it.

This paragraph from the last pages of the book I found the most useful. It summarizes the essential points. If you read it, you do not need to waste your time and/or money on the whole book:

"The sign of the cross is a reflection of this medicine given to us by Christ. It is a sign of contemplation on our sin, and as such it combines humility and the wish to triumph over sin and temptation. At the same time, it recognizes our own limitations and requests the assistance of God in our spiritual ascent and maturation. The sign of the cross reflects our personal committment to healing the disease of sin and the consequences of the Fall. It is one of the the first steps in our return towards God. Since we recognize our position and we place ourselves in his mercy and guidance, we, like the Israelites in the desert, may be healed of spiritual death." (pp. 136-137)