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Adapted from a series of lectures given at the Smithsonian Institute, the

Adapted from a series of lectures given at the Smithsonian Institute, the eight chapters of Heaven on Earth present a comprehensive introduction to Byzantine religious history and culture. The authors presuppose that Orthodox Christianity, not merely political structures, united the Eastern Roman Empire and enabled it to survive a thousand years after the dissolution of the Western Empire; and the essays presented here serve well to underscore its centrality in all aspects of Byzantine art, architecture, thought and piety. Joseph Alchermes' lead essay presents the historical background that frame all the others. Eric Perl's 'That Man Might Become God: Central Themes in Byzantine Theology' capably conveys the promise of its title, and indeed is crucial for an accurate sense of the dynamic principles of Byzantine art and culture discussed in the following essays. These include Anna Kartsonis' on the development of iconography, Robert Ousterhout on architecture and the Liturgy, Henry Maguire's insightful and surprising 'The Cycle of Images in the Church, ' which offers a rare examination of the details and significance of the arrangement of icons in churches; and essays by Susan Boyd, Nancy Sevcenko, and Gary Vikan on the art of liturgical vessels, service book illumination, and the art of pilgrimage. Heaven on Earth is oversized and beautifully printed with charts, color plates and illustrations, extensive bibliographies, and a glossary. 280 pp.