A fascinating look at the history of the Christian Church as portrayed throughout Western art. This richly illustrated volume argues that, because much of Western art depicts key events, leaders, and practices in the history of the Christian Church, knowledge of that history is critical to gaining a deeper appreciation of many of our great masterpieces.The History of the Church in Art begins by examining artistic representations of liturgical objects - including altars, crosses, and censers. It then goes on to look at the portrayal of the duties and vestments of a variety of cleric in art; the visual documentation of devotional practices; and important episodes from the Church's history - crusades and pilgrimages, the Inquisition and the Reformation, and power struggles between popes and secular leaders. It concludes with an analysis of the lives and portraits of notable leaders, from Peter and Paul to Thomas More and Pope Paul VI.