ABSTRACT
No one who is familiar with the Roman Catholic Mass or Eastern Orthodoxy’s Divine Liturgy can fail to observe the radical difference in worship on visiting a Protestant church. e building itself is less elaborate. ere may be stained glass, depicting scenes from the Bible, but often the windows are plain. ere are no statues, and no crucifixes: instead a plain cross often dominates the sanctuary. ere may be a biblical text painted on a wall, or occasionally a picture-not a carving. All this is in conformity with one of the Ten Commandments, ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol’ (Exod. 20:4). An ‘idol’ is regarded as something three-dimensional-hence the avoidance of statues-while two-dimensional art is acceptable. e plain cross is also regarded as a reminder of the resurrection: the cross is empty, since Christ is alive.
