Textures of Images presents for the first time a fundamental analysis and synopsis of the printed relic-book genre. The author brings into focus the specific mediality and aesthetics of this kind of printed books between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.

John Dillenberger has written the first comprehensive account of the relation between the visual arts and theological currents in Europe during the first half of the sixteenth century. With an astute knowledge of the theology of the period and a keen interest in the lives and work of prominent artists, Dillenberger makes incisive connections that illuminate the cultural movements of the time. Images and Relics considers both popular and professional art within distinct religious contexts. It examines the works of Matthias Grunewald, Albrecht Durer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Michelangelo, Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Baldung Grien, and Albrecht Altdorfer, and demonstrates how these artists expressed and transformed the reigning theological ideas of their day. The book also addresses the range of iconoclastic movements from the 1520s to the 1570s, particularly in northern Europe. Finally, Dillenberger reflects on the ambiguity of the history of this period and its continuing impact on modern-day life.

Scripture speaks of miracles wrought through relics: a dead man was raised when Elisha’s bones touched him, and the clothing of Jesus and His apostles healed the sick. In the early Church, Masses were celebrated over the bones of the martyrs, and phials of their blood have effected countless miracles. Direct successors of the Apostles themselves speak of venerating relics; Church Fathers encourage it; throughout the ages of Catholic legacy, relics of the saints are always present. The Church takes diligent care in preserving and documenting the authenticity of her relics. Best-selling author Joan Carroll Cruz takes full advantage of these resources. With painstaking research, she exposes the details behind hundreds of the Church’s most famous and beloved relics. She covers 38 second-class relicsof our Lord and Lady, such as the Holy Grail and Our Lady’s Veil, and relics of all sorts from 75 favorite saints, such as St. Mary Magdalene, St. Agnes, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Maria Goretti, and many more! Relics is a unique collection of years of dedicated research about the lives of the saints and the mementos they left behind, to remind us of their presence and intercession for us.

We are witnesses to a process of restoration. If you think the Church has been fully restored, you're just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come. -Russell M. Nelson, news release, Oct. 30, 2018, Concepcion, Chile One of the most intriguing aspects of our Church's history is that it is still being discovered. Just as early Christians sought out pieces of the cross or searched for the location of Noah's Ark, it is natural for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to seek to interact with their history. The objects in this book constitute a glimpse at the richness of days gone by and allow us to see, heft, and handle those now-priceless objects that our forbearers did. In this volume, you will find photos and commentary on objects such as - The Brown Seer Stone - Liberty Jail's door - David Patten's rifle - Joseph Smith's handkerchief - James E. Talmage's Jesus the Christ manuscript - Joseph and Hyrum Smith's death masks - Hyrum Smith's Martyrdom Clothing - And much more! 50 Relics of the Restoration highlights the history of the Church through sacred objects gathered throughout its history. Included with the objects are some of the most vivid and interesting stories of the Latter-day Saints, which allow those who read them to interact with their beloved forbearers and become a part of their history. This unique volume of history highlights sacred objects from the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With pictures of each artifact, Griffiths and Woodger have written the history of the item and brought forth interesting stories of the Latter-day Saints.

An intriguing visual history of the veneration in European churches and monasteries of bejeweled and decorated skeletons Death has never looked so beautiful. The fully articulated skeleton of a female saint, dressed in an intricate costume of silk brocade and gold lace, withered fingers glittering with colorful rubies, emeralds, and pearls—this is only one of the specially photographed relics featured in Heavenly Bodies. In 1578 news came of the discovery in Rome of a labyrinth of underground tombs, which were thought to hold the remains of thousands of early Christian martyrs. Skeletons of these supposed saints were subsequently sent to Catholic churches and religious houses in German-speaking Europe to replace holy relics that had been destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. The skeletons, known as “the catacomb saints,” were carefully reassembled, richly dressed in fantastic costumes, wigs, crowns, jewels, and armor, and posed in elaborate displays inside churches and shrines as reminders to the faithful of the heavenly treasures that awaited them after death. Paul Koudounaris gained unprecedented access to religious institutions to reveal these fascinating historical artifacts. Hidden for over a century as Western attitudes toward both the worship of holy relics and death itself changed, some of these ornamented skeletons appear in publication here for the first time.

Although objects associated with the Passion and suffering of Christ are among the most important and sacred relics venerated by the Catholic Church, this is the first study that considers how they were presented to the faithful. Cynthia Hahn adopts an accessible, informative, and holistic approach to the important history of Passion relics—first the True Cross, and then the collective group of Passion relics—examining their display in reliquaries, their presentation in church environments, their purposeful collection as centerpieces in royal and imperial collections, and finally their veneration in pictorial form as Arma Christi. Tracing the ways that Passion relics appear and disappear in response to Christian devotion and to historical phenomena, ranging from pilgrimage and the Crusades to the promotion of imperial power, this groundbreaking investigation presents a compelling picture of a very important aspect of late medieval and early modern devotion.