1983, ISBN: 0500110204

[EAN: 9780500110201], [SC: 39.02], [PU: London. 1983. Thames & Hudson], Jacket, red & gilt decorative (dolphins) full cloth hardcover 8vo. (octavo). dustwrapper in protective plastic book… Plus…

[EAN: 9780500110201], [SC: 39.02], [PU: London. 1983. Thames & Hudson], Jacket, red & gilt decorative (dolphins) full cloth hardcover 8vo. (octavo). dustwrapper in protective plastic book jacket cover. fine cond. binding square & tight. covers clean. edges clean. contents free of markings. dustwrapper in vg+ cond. couple of tiny tears at spine top, minor rubbing, not price clipped (no price listed). nice clean copy. no library markings, store stamps, stickers, bookplates, no names, inking, underlining, remainder markings etc~. high quality book club edition (real cloth). b&w frontis. illustration. 272p. A to Z listings. notes. illustration sources. 283 b&w illustrations. religion. art history. world history.theology. mythology. history of christianity. folklore. ~ FOR NEARLY TWO THOUSAND YEARS Christian themes have inspired or influenced our culture and way of life. And yet, in the second half of the twentieth century, the Old and New Testaments, the symbols and the saints of Christianity, its history and teachings and the institutions of the Christian Churches are to an increasing extent unfamiliar to a secularized society. Biblical sayings and quotations have passed into everyday speech, yet their context has been forgotten. The key to many of the world's greatest plays and paintings, operas and epics has been all but lost. In a single, comprehensive volume, Professor Metford solves the problem. In over 1700 articles spanning the whole field ~ from the Whore of Babylon to the Immaculate Conception, from the Garden of Eden to the Destruction of Sodom ~ he details Christian lore ( the learning and background knowledge which underpins Christian culture ) and legend ( the historical, traditional or symbolic content of Christianity, without pre~judgment of its veracity). Each entry provides a key to a work of art, or to an entire tradition. Professor Metford cracks the complex code of saintly attributes (Why is St. Lawrence the patron of good manners?); explains obscure themes scattered in a dozen books (Where is Armageddon?); retells the lives of a host of Prophets and Saints (What is St. Catherine's wheel?) ; describes the tasks of Demons and Devils (Who is Lilith?); defines church architecture (What is an ambo?); traces the extraordiriary history of terms (Why a "chapel"); and answers almost any question that might arise in the course of your reading, looking or listening. Cross~references link articles on related topics, and hundreds of illustrations relate each theme to the history of art, music or literature. Every major subject is covered, every period fully examined. This is a vital tool for anyone who wishes to understand the single most important theme in the development of our culture., Books<