ABSTRACT
In the modern world symbols have of course often been seen to rouse extraordinarily powerful and indeed destructive passions. This chapter to explores how a more nuanced account of symbolism might succeed in contributing to the flourishing of religion and its associated rituals, as also to artistic endeavor. To take symbols for divinity itself, not only do we find many of these crossing the religions but sometimes so deeply rooted that the word for the symbol and for the divine turn out be etymologically related. In the twentieth century one significant figure writing on symbols was the German philosopher Ernst Cassirer. In the history of Christianity perhaps the late Middle Ages and Renaissance are the most marked in contrast to our own times. For us the lion is a symbol of strength and courage, but in the Middle Ages to these attributes were added watchfulness, the resurrection, evil, St Mark and by association the city of Venice.
