Why are there so many types of crosses?
How each culture adapts the symbol of Christianity
The cross is the traditional symbol of Christianity. For Christians, it represents the structure upon which Jesus was crucified and then later resurrected from the dead. The cross itself became a symbol of redemption and Christians use it to self-identify themselves.
At times those who display the cross have suffered from persecution. Prior to October 28th, 312 AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine believed that he saw a cross in the sky as evidence that God was helping him to win the battle of Milvian Bridge and he legalized Christianity, many Christians hid their identity and remained underground.
Once the Christian religion was approved by the Roman Empire and the cross became widely displayed many Christians displayed Jesus as remaining on the cross even though he had risen from the dead. As time went on Christians made more of an effort to portray the physical suffering of Christ during his crucifixion and many Catholic crosses showed him remaining on the cross. Eventually, many Protestant crosses removed him from the cross completely to emphasize his resurrection.
As time went on many different design styles of crosses emerged as many nationalities merged the religious symbol with nationalistic and cultural symbols.
The Greek cross is also known as the crux immissa quadrata. It has four equal arms. This symbol began in the early Christian Church and its usage has continued heavily in the Orthodox Church community. While its earliest beginnings are unknown, it is used both in religious ceremonies and as a design for apparel as well as a floor plan for Orthodox Churches. Additionally, it is the modern symbol used by the Red Cross. Some have speculated that the cross has four equal arms in order to represent the four great evangelists of Christianity.
The Latin Cross is known as crux immissa and it has three equal-length arms and a longer base. It is commonly believed to be the most common, current worldwide symbol of Christianity. Many Catholic Churches and Cathedrals use the Latin Cross as their floor plan and it resembles the shape when viewed from above. The Latin Cross is particularly used by the Catholic Church and frequently features a crucified Jesus on it while the Protestant Church more typically features a resurrected Jesus which is symbolized by an empty cross.
The Celtic Cross is another prominent Christian Cross symbol. While the cross features the more traditional elements of other crosses it is encapsulated by a circle which is used to symbolize God’s unending love. The Cross design is very popular in Scotland and Ireland and it is believed that it was introduced by St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, and includes both Christian and historically pagan symbols in the making of the design.
While many crosses follow the similar design of four arms, not all do. The Maltese Cross from the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea has eight different points within four triangle-like arms. The cross is the symbol of the Knights of Malta which is a historical and UN-recognized charitable organization and the eight points represent the required qualities of a group adherent. Furthermore, the Florian Cross has four more billowy arms which have eight points and are designed to be used to represent the corresponding virtues of knighthood and is commonly used as a symbol of firefighters today.
The cross is also used as a symbol by non-Christian religious groups. Scientology, a religion created by L. Ron Hubbard, uses a cross which has an additional two diagonal lines which pierce through the traditional cross and were designed to demonstrate the eight important points of Scientology. The Gnostics, a group who has shared Christian and non-Christian roots, also features a cross which has a circle on top demonstrating their split historical origins. While a Christian group themselves, the Coptic Church of Egypt is unafraid to marry Christian and pagan elements in their cross. Called the ankh, the cross has a t at the top which resembles an oval and it is believed to symbolize eternal life both in this life and in the next life. To demonstrate their adherence to Christianity they often, but not always, include a Greek cross in their symbols.
Lastly, some smaller Christian organizations have adopted particular crosses for their own purposes. For example, the Canterbury Cross is a circular design with a square in the middle. Each of the sides of the circle has a triangle design with a point for each branch of the holy trinity. The cross joined the Christianity of the British isles with their Saxon heritage. Another is the papal cross which adds three horizontal lines to denote his rank and that of the holy trinity. Furthermore, the Russian Orthodox Church adds additional horizontal bars where Jesus’ feet and hands would have been. Finally, the Franciscans, a Catholic religious order, used the Tau cross, which looks like a letter t and represents that letter from the Greek. They believe that it is an important symbol to use due to the saving nature of the symbol from the bible book of Ezekiel.
For many, crosses are a common part of life which are seen so often it is common to ignore them and walk by without realizing it. Our brains generalize the shape and tend to think that all crosses are the same, but in reality they are quite different. The faithful put great thought into designing crosses which support their intentions and veneration and by understanding the differences we can all become more supportive community members and enlightened commentators when we see these symbols when out and about.
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