The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (577 page)

(
c.
1340–
c.
1412).
Jewish Spanish philosopher and statesman. He wrote
Or Adonai
(The Light of the Lord) to refute the philosophical teachings of
Maimonides
and Jewish Aristotelianism. This was initially intended to be the first part of a larger work
Ner Elohim
(Lamp of God), and the second part, the
Ner Mitzvah
(Lamp of Commandment), was intended to supersede Maimonides'
Mishneh Torah
(A Second Law). Although Crescas' ideas were rejected by Isaac
Abrabanel
and Shem Tov ben Joseph, he was later influential on
Spinoza
.

 
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(Arab.,
al-qamar
). Religious emblem of Islam, derived from the Quranic (e.g. 36. 39) recognition of the waxing and waning of the moon as a sign of God's unchanging purpose and control.

 
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Crosby, Fanny
.

Mrs F. J. Van Alstyne (1823–1915), American hymn-writer. She was blind from the age of six weeks. Her more than 2,000 hymns include ‘Jesus, keep me near the cross’, ‘To God be the glory, great things he hath done’, and ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus’.

 
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Cross
.

Chief of Christian symbols, deriving from the
crucifixion
of Christ. It is used in various forms (plain,
crucifix
,
icon
) in the furnishing of churches and
altars
, and as an object of private devotion. The claimed wood of the ‘true cross’ (see
INVENTION OF THE CROSS
) was divided and redivided, and now most of the
relics
are very small.

 
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Crown of thorns
.

An instrument of Christ's passion (John 19. 2). He is frequently depicted wearing this in
passion
art and music: ‘O sacred head, sore wounded …’.

 
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(
c.
1806–91).
Anglican
bishop
and pioneering African Church leader. He was baptized in 1825 and became a leading worker for the
CMS
. Under the ‘threeself’ policy of Henry
Venn
, he became the first African bishop of W. Africa beyond colonial limits, in 1864.

 
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