The book, as stated on the first page of its foreword (p. xxiii), is designed to introduce its readers to the visual culture of early Christians while discussing the production, iconography and perception of a variety of objects as well as investigating modern historical and theological approaches towards the topic. The majority of the contributors are renowned scholars, whose expertise is well attested throughout the book, making it a useful starting point for students of early Christian subjects. Jensen, the co-editor of the volume, who undoubtedly is one of the most respected researchers in early Christian studies, introduces the subjects that contribute to the handbook, focusing on the Christian identity of the users, commissioners and viewers who arose from the broader Roman culture and traditions.

The consequence of such expertise, however, is that chapters written by N. Zimmermann (Chapter 2 on catacomb paintings), J. Dresken-Weiland (Chapter 3, which discusses Christian sarcophagi from Rome), G. Koch (Chapter 4 on Christian sarcophagi outside Rome) and J. Spier (Chapter 9, which investigates engraved gems and amulets) centre around the authors’ own interpretations of the iconography and objects rather than presenting a wider evaluation of the art. It is not my intention to undermine their scholarly competence and knowledge of the topics; however, a book intended for first-time readers of any subject, especially one with such a long history of research as early Christianity, should encompass a variety of interpretations (if not all), despite the fact that at least some of these may have been abandoned by now. For example, Zimmermann interprets painted banquet scenes as a ‘funerary meal … symbolising an eternal meal’ (p. 23). Bearing in mind that the scenes have been vigorously discussed, and at least six other interpretations of the motif have been suggested to date, it would be essential at least to mention the other possible meanings in a footnote in order to inform readers that other possibilities exist. Similarly, Dresken-Weiland touches upon another ‘hot topic’, stating that the scenes taken from the Old Testament ‘should not be addressed as “images of salvation” taken from the commendatio animae’ (p. 47), and references her argument to a book written in 1927 (highly valuable, yet with rather outdated ideas). This is surprising, particularly as this topic has been thoroughly discussed within the last few decades, and a counter argument is provided by S. Walker in Chapter 8 on gold-glass (p. 135), who, throughout her very interesting article, uses much more recent and varied sources, thus providing a long-awaited refreshing approach to gold-glass studies.

The main strength of the handbook is the inclusion of chapters that deal with diverse media, some of which have not been incorporated in previous general publications on early Christian art. In addition to the contributions mentioned above, Part 1 contains a further ten chapters. H.J. Hornik discusses freestanding sculpture (Chapter 5), though, probably due to the very limited examples, she focuses more on the theological explanation of the representations of Jonah and the Good Shepherd rather than on the sculptures themselves. S.V. Leatherbury (Chapter 6) provides an excellent overview of early Christian wall mosaics, though, again, limits himself to a single interpretation of the famous mosaic representing Christ as/or Sol from the Vatican Necropolis (p. 87). R. Talgam in Chapter 7 contributes a comprehensive study of the floor mosaics, discussing the motifs’ interpretation and history. E. Thunø explores the history of the cult of the relics, concisely touching upon the iconography and production of the reliquaries (Chapter 10). Chapter 11 by J.J. Herrmann and A. van den Hoek presents a general overview of late-antique ceramics discussing few Christian examples, which include the important, yet debatable, Berlin Lamp (p. 169), though, again, not much of the discussion of the object is provided (for example, the argument that the lamp may be an eighteenth-century forgery). The first chapter that really introduces early Christianity as an integral part of the Roman World, based on traditions of production and types of portrait iconography, is Chapter 12 by K. Marsengill, which investigates panel paintings and Christian icons. This chapter also includes immensely important information about ‘popular’ Christianity (pp. 191, 194 and 200) which incorporated members who did not always follow the teaching of the Church, thus presenting a more realistic version of late-antique society. References to traditional Roman (or pagan) or Jewish iconography can be found in previous chapters, though only in passing, while over-theological discussions in Chapter 2 (by Zimmermann) or 5 (by Hornik) give the impression that, first, early Christian material should be understood as separate from any contemporary counterparts, and, second, that all early Christians viewed and interpreted biblical images in a highly religious way as explained by early Christian writers.

Similarly to Marsengill's approach, Chapter 13 by N. Bhalla provides a very interesting survey of Christian ivories, focusing on different types of objects and representations rather than on a Christian over-interpretation of the images. The following Chapter 14, by J.L. Ball, discusses the production, decoration and various usages of textiles. Importantly, Ball is the first author in the volume who acknowledges that ‘what reads as an inconsistency to our modern mindset about religion is common during Late Antiquity’, which is ‘characterised by many interwoven cultural and religious threads’ (p. 221). Similarly, R. Leader-Newby in her chapter about silver (Chapter 15), after discussing liturgical objects, presents an interesting insight into the early Christian elite, who, despite the Church Fathers’ preaching about ascetic renunciation, owned opulent collections of silver tableware and even objects decorated with Roman gods (pp. 247–8). Finally, D. Verkerk's contribution (Chapter 16) is an excellent summary of production, use and re-use of early Christian illuminated manuscripts.

Part 2 focuses on themes (broadly understood) and contains seven chapters. The first chapter (Chapter 17 by M. Peppard) investigates the connection between art and ritual, and, importantly, incorporates two different points of view on the subject: by Jensen and J. Elsner, enabling potential readers to understand that there may be many interpretations, and to make up their own mind about which idea appeals to them more. Peppard also introduces the paintings from the Dura Europos Baptistery, which constitute the rare surviving examples of frescoes outwith a funerary context. In Chapter 18 F. Harley-McGowan discusses the images of Passion found on a variety of objects: from gems and sarcophagi to wall paintings and illuminated manuscripts. The main issue, however, is the example of the Bloodstone amulet (p. 292), which Harley-McGowan claims to be the earliest representation of Jesus’ crucifixion, dating to the end of the second/early third century. This is rather surprising, as in her own doctoral dissertation the author admits that, based on the iconography, the gem's standard shape and inscription, which resemble sixth- or seventh- century magical formulas found on Syrian manuscripts, the dating of the amulet remains uncertain, and it could be as late as the fourth century. The earliest dating of the amulet was proposed by Spier (Chapter 9, p. 144), though, as he references solely his own works, it is impossible to determine the accuracy of such an identification. Any attempts to seek such an early date for crucifixion iconography, as exciting and sensational as they may appear, should rather be treated with caution.

There are several issues with Chapter 19, in which L.M. Jefferson discusses images of miracles found in Roman catacombs and on sarcophagi. This chapter focuses only on miracles performed by Christ, omitting most of the Old Testament scenes (apart from Moses) that represented miracles. The chapter resembles, in its style and approach, the works of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholars sponsored by the Vatican, who did not differentiate between private funerary art and public works commissioned by Church officials; therefore, the interpretation of the scenes as symbolising Jesus' resurrection is not surprising. Ellison in Chapter 20 traces the changes in private portraiture from traditional Roman to early Christian using examples on gold-glass and sarcophagi. Chapter 21 by D. Mauskopf Deliyannis is a highly important and very interesting survey of mosaics from Ravenna, which includes examples found in the Arian Baptistery and the Arian Church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, making it the first chapter in the handbook to discuss different forms of Christianity that coexisted in Late Antiquity.

J. Huskinson (Chapter 22) presents a history and reception of early Christian art during the Italian Renaissance. The chapter, as interesting as it may be, is of little use to students of early Christianity, as it only briefly discusses the re-discovery of the catacombs in the late sixteenth century and the work of Antonio Bossio, who has been acknowledged as the Father of Christian archaeology and, in my opinion, deserves much more attention. Perhaps a more overall discussion of the history of early Christian studies could have been included; examining, for example, the works of G.B. De Rossi and J. Wilpert, which are crucial in the understanding of the development of Christian scholarship.

Lastly, in Chapter 23 R. Couzin sets out all the key questions and issues that any student or researcher in early Christian studies should take into account. Couzin's question of what actually makes an object ‘Christian’ should be placed at the beginning of the handbook, together with the explanation of why the majority of the existing scholarship is so overwhelmingly ‘church-friendly’ (p. 385). It should by no means be ‘Church-unfriendly’; however, the reader should be aware of the fact that certain interpretations have been proposed by clerics and theologians rather than art historians, and that the Vatican is the major sponsor of Christian research and Vatican scholars are the main contributors to the subject.

The handbook is a valuable compendium of early Christian iconography found on a wide variety of media, from wall paintings, sculpture, relief and mosaics to smaller gem stones, gold-glass dishes and pendants, textiles, ceramics, ivories, silver and illuminated manuscripts. The majority of the contributors present modern views on their subjects incorporating lists of further reading and rich bibliographies, making the handbook a useful first-hand source for students. It is, however, surprising that some authors still repeat certain misconceptions that have been recently renounced: for example, it has been successfully proven that neither the catacomb provenance nor the word depositus/-a (‘inhumed’) used on funerary inscriptions should be taken as a positive indication for an object or an image to be considered Christian.