The Sign of the Cross in the Dialogues of Gregory the Great

Abstract

Within the study of Early Christianity, a pertinent topic is the sign of the cross. This article will focus on extra liturgical signing, that is, making the sign of the cross outside of a formal liturgy like baptism. “Extra liturgical signing” has not been researched in great detail especially in the liminal stage between Late Antiquity and the Medieval world. To help fill this lacuna, this article will focus on Gregory the Great’s Dialogues under two rubrics: (1) what did Gregory wish to convey through his text about the sign of the cross and (2) how did 6th-century people practice this ritual and what did they believe about it? It will be argued that Gregory depicted the cross as a powerful talisman against demonic powers. It will unveil as well that ‘signing’ in 6th century Italy had a different tone than in previous centuries.