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Living with the Gods

Religion & Ethics

How shared beliefs have shaped societies from the earliest days of humanity

How shared beliefs have shaped societies around the world, from the very earliest days of humanity with Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

How shared beliefs have shaped societies around the world, from the very earliest days of humanity with Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum. 

Image: Gold coin, Credit: The Trustees of the British Museum

Living with the Gods: Change Your Life

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Buddha Figurine

10/03/2018 GMT

Change Your Life

BBC World Service - Living with the Gods, Change Your Life

Examining images of the crucifixion of Christ and a serene figure of Buddha

What is the purpose behind a gruesome image of the crucifixion of Christ and a serene figure of Buddha in enlightened state?

A small coloured wood-cut, created in the Netherlands around 1500, offers a particularly gruesome rendering of Christ's crucifixion. Christ is pictured with blood pouring from his torso, his head, his legs and his outstretched arms. These are not realistically arranged droplets; instead we see a flurry of vertical red strokes, tightly packed together and evenly spaced. Neil MacGregor reflects on the purpose of this image.

He also considers a serene figure of the Buddha, a halo behind his head, already in his enlightened state.

(Photo: Figurine of the Buddha with a halo in his enlightened state. Credit: The Trustees of the British Museum)

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