ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses the large liturgical objects to tackle the theaters interest in the materiality of religious practice on the level of personal devotion. It explores in greater detail the various material manifestations of the cross as well as the statutes that attempts to control the use of these potentially controversial items. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, seven separate meanings for the word cross were operative during this period, ranging from the physical object that figures prominently in biblical history to an immaterial sign. The main issues at stake when considering the materiality of crosses are their size, dimensionality, and figurationin other words, whether the cross included the body of Christ and could thus be called a crucifix. The remainder of the plays discussed in the chapter place crosses in fictional contexts that downplay the potential for idolatry and allow them to be viewed more sympathetically.
