Walking into a Christian church, one of the cues that helps to tell you whether you are in a Roman Catholic church or Protestant church is the presence of either the crucifix (Catholic) or the cross (Protestant). The crucifix, displaying the crucified Jesus, often hangs above the altar, while the bare cross more often than not sits on the altar table or on a shelf behind it.

Antonello da Messina (Italian, ca. 1430–1479), Christ Crucified , 1475 This painting is striking for its strong verticality, which, by elevating Jesus so far above the ground, gives it a certain solitariness. Antonello composed the picture with a low viewpoint so that we, like John the apostle on the right, also have to look up to view the crucified Christ. LISTEN : “Staff” by Josh Compton, on Awake, Awake by A Ship at Sea (2012) As they looked upon the staff That Mos