Heaven on Earth: Art and the Church in Byzantium
by: Safran, Linda (Editor)

Softcover. Universtity Park PA, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1st, 1998, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, pictorial wrappers, 280 pages. This easily accessible volume, which grew out of a series of lectures presented at the Smithsonian Institution in 1991, aims to provide a coherent introduction to Byzantine culture with a focus on the interconnected realms of art and religion. The eight participants have revised their lectures into chapters on Byzantine history, theology, icons and icon theory, church architecture, monumental painting, silver church furnishings, illustrated liturgical books, and pilgrimage. In addition to presenting current research on this range of topics, the chapters each contribute original scholarship from authors who are recognized experts in their respective fields. The Introduction, by Linda Safran, deals with views and definitions of Byzantium over the course of its long history and considers why that civilization deserves our attention today. Illustrated in b&w and color.