In this, his only published work, devout Christian HENRY DANA WARD (1797-1884) exposes how the symbol of the cross, a pagan invention, has come to dominate Christianity, replacing a belief in the gospel with the worship of an idol. Christ’s true cross, his suffering, was supplanted ages ago by the picture of the cross as an object of reverence, leading followers to kiss the feet of a statue of Christ and hope for miracles in its presence.
According to the author, this was a pagan symbol that should never have been adopted. Idols were not to be worshipped by the earliest Christians, and the cross was no exception to the rule.
This book written by a Christian scholar establishes the fact that current beliefs surrounding the cross and its worship are wrong. Ward documents a variety of ways in which Christians were led to copy the rituals of pagans, all the while imploring them to give up their corrupted ways and return to the true teachings of Jesus. It took time for the Christians to eventually accept the cross in its current form and to worship it.
A compelling read first published in 1871, History of the Cross will be of interest to anyone wanting to know about the origins of Christianity.
