What is the difference between a cross and a crucifix?

Question

I know the basics, but can you describe it more deeply to me?? Thanks.

Answer 1

A crucifix is a cross you kill people on (crucify them on)
A cross can be used as crucifix, but also to hold up your scarecrows, etc..

And just to clarify something... a crucifix does not necessarily need to have Jesus. "Crucifix" comes from a Middle English term derived from the Latin, meaning "fastened to a cross." ANYONE fastened to a cross makes it a crucifix, because someone was crucified on it.

Answer 2

As people have said, a crucifix depicts the crucified Jesus, a cross is a cross.

I remember a professor at Virginia Theological Seminary commenting that the crucifix was one of the greatest problems with the Roman church because it put the emphasis on exactly the wrong part of the Easter story - the suffering rather than the resurrection.

Of course, that was before I became an Atheist. Now I would shun both crosses and crucifixes in favor of chocolate bunnies.

Answer 3

The crucifix has the body of Jesus on it. The cross does not. Since we must be part of the body of Christ, this sacrifice is not finished all the way until we die too. I also like to think that there were three crosses on that hill and one did not represent salvation so I want to venerate the one that did and that one was the one with Jesus on it. I think it is just foolish that people say that Catholics are re crucifying Jesus with the crucifix. We all know he is alive and in Heaven. They just love to look for excuses to vilify us.

Answer 4

A crucifix is a cross with the body of Jesus on it, usually the dead/dying body, although you'll see some with the "resurrected body" of Jesus on/in front of the cross.

ADDED - I'm sorry, you wanted something a bit deeper... some people prefer the cross as a symbol because the lack of a body allows it to represent the ENTIRETY of the paschal mystery - passion, death & resurrection. A crucifix visually puts the mind in the place of just the death part.

Answer 5

A cross is just a cross.
A crucifix is a cross with a figure crucified on it. This is use by people who believe Jesus Christ was crucified for their sins. They use the crucifix as a pendant and to assert in their belief. Others who doesn't believe on images or icons just use a cross as pendant.

Answer 6

The letter X is a cross the Crucifix was what Jesus was Crucified on.

Answer 7

Cross is just a simplified way of describing a crucifix..the cross is the symbol of Christianity.;

A crucifix is what they used to 'crucify' people on thousands of years ago, a popular form of punishment and death penalty for bronze age middle eastern men.

jTherefore, a cross depicting Jesus' execution with his body on it is a crucifix.

Answer 8

A cross is just that, a design of a standing pillar with a cross pillar. A crucifix has the representation of Jesus on it. If you have a cross without Jesus on it, it is simply a cross. As soon as you put Jesus hanging on the cross, it is a crucifix.

Answer 9

After the Protestant Reformation, Protestants started building churches. They copied the Catholic practise of showing an empty cross. Catholics introduced the crucifix to emphasize Jesus sacrifice.

Answer 10

All crucifixes are crosses, however not all crosses are crucifixes.

One has the body on it and the other does not, but they both stand for the same thing. There is no reason to split hairs on it.

When Jesus breathed his last breath, he said 'it is finished'.
How can his salvific work not be finished until we die.
I am saved already and do not expect to die too soon.

grace2u