Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture is a unique and fascinating exploration of the art and architecture that has been influenced and inspired by Biblical stories and Christian history and beliefs. Richly illustrated and with a Glossary of Architectural Terms and an extensive Bibliography, the Companion combines important general essays on the periods and styles important in the history of Christian art with hundreds of shorter entries that describe specific works, artists, themes, and visual images and which give the reader practical guidance on where in Europe to locate the works described. The most comprehensive reference work on Christian art and architecture available includes: * Detailed essays on periods and styles in art and architecture: Anglo- Saxon, Byzantine, Carolingian, Coptic, Early Christian, Gothic, Irish, Ottonian, Renaissance, Rococo, Romanesque; Mannerism, Neoclassicism, * General background on Christian doctrine, beliefs, and tradition: liturgical year, colours, vessels, and vestments; the Ten Commandments, Seven Deadly Sins, and the Two Trinities; Candlemas, Holy Week, Stations of the Cross, and religious orders * Forms of art influenced by Christian ideas: altarpieces, tombs, and caskets; illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, frescoes, and brasses; stained glass, portal sculpture, and standing crosses; fonts, fountains, and rose windows * Specific references to individual artists and sculptors and to their works: Fra Angelico, Bernini, and Botticelli; Marc Chagall, Eric Gill, and Stanley Spencer; the great painters of the Italian Renaissance: Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci * Places, buildings, and architects: Assissi, Ravenna, Venice, and Sistine Chapel; baptistery, belfry, cloister, chapter house, and churches: twentieth century, centrally planned, abbey, collegiate; Bentley, Brunelleschi, Wren, and Gibbs * Biblical themes, stories, and people as the subject of art: from the Old Testament Adam and Eve, Abraham, and Tower of Babel; the Nativity, Circumcision, Baptism, Life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ from the Gospels; Miracle at Bolsena, Good Samaritan, parables, Apocalypse * Descriptions and explanations of images, icons, and symbols: allegory, attribute, emblem, and type; angels and archangels, symbolic beasts, birds, dove, serpent, and dragon; Signs of the Zodiac, rainbow, labyrinth, and Wheel of Fortune * Significant saints, popes, rulers, and patrons: saints Agnes, Agatha, and Catherine of Siena; saints Peter, Paul, Francis, and Jerome; Charlemagne and Emperor Constantine the Great; popes Clement VII, Urban VIII and Leo X; Doctors of the Church, St Augustine, Erasmus, and Knights Templar

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface
• Note to the Reader
• Text: 1,700 A-Z entries (350,000 words)
• Glossary of Architectural Terms
• Bibliography

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Noting the public's lack of comprehension and hence appreciation of great Christian art, the Murrays step in with this dictionary of Christian art and architecture. Included are articles on architectural elements, artists, religious personalities, artistic and theological movements, and other topics that have influenced Christian art. Similar in format to The Oxford Companion to Art (1970), this work is much more specialized. Scholars and authors in the field of art history (e.g., Dictionary of Art and Artists, 1984), the Murrays (Peter died in 1992) also provide a superb bibliography to augment the cursory articles. While Diane Apostolos-Cappadona's The Dictionary of Christian Art (LJ 1/95) is better suited to general readers and covers much more symbolism, the Murrays' book is more appropriate for researchers. Recommended for most academic libraries.‘Karen Ellis, Baldwin Boettcher Lib., Humble, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

The latest addition to the "Oxford Companion" series addresses the need created by increasingly secular and diverse readers for a tool to help understand and interpret the predominant religious tradition in Western art. The authors have solid art historical credentials, primarily for their writings on the Renaissance. The alphabetical listing includes artists, religious figures, terminology, symbols, geographic names, and media, as well as longer sections (e.g., "Gothic Art and Architecture"). Cross-references and alternate spellings are included in alphabetical sequence. Many entries include references to significant interpretations as expressed in painting or sculpture. Small black-and-white and some full-page color illustrations are used selectively. A glossary of architectural terms supplements the text. The short bibliography is organized by subject but is neither annotated nor comprehensive. Even relatively obscure topics are treated in a concise manner that allows further research in more detailed and specialized works. A good road map for the uninitiated and a firm stepping stone for specialists, this source belongs in all collections with holdings in art or religion. M. Nilsen; University of Pennsylvania

Booklist Review

Compiled by the late Peter Murray and his wife, Linda (probably best known to Americans for their Penguin Dictionary of Art and Artists), this alphabetically arranged handbook follows the familiar format of the Oxford Companions to art, twentieth-century art, and the decorative arts. Aware that increasingly many people lack knowledge of the Bible, Christian doctrine, church history, and ritual, the Murrays provide understandable information. Generous use of cross-references leads newcomers from Christian art to related entries. Chronological coverage runs from the earliest Christian art to the present. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant subjects are treated. "Dogmas, rites, and liturgical matters" are covered only as they relate to the visual arts. Entries are clearly written; small black-and-white illustrations and 16 full-page color illustrations support the text. A list of abbreviations used throughout precedes and a seven-page glossary of architectural terms follows the text. Concluding the work are a classified bibliography of books (sacred texts, atlases, iconographies, and historical eras) and sources for the illustrations used. The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture is sure to become a standard reference work. It should be seriously considered for acquisition by public and academic librarians.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Peter and Linda Murray are a well-known and respected art historians with over 30 years' teaching experience and several collaborative titles to their credit. Peter Murray was Professor of the History of Art at Birkbeck College London from 1967 until his retirement in 1980. Linda Murray also taught art history at Birkbeck for a number of years. Their many publications include The Penguin Dictionary of Art and Artists, now in it's sixth edition.