Without exception, religions around the world and throughout
time have included a vital visual dimension—whether it
is icons to contemplate, sacred diagrams used in ritual, powerful
objects charged with the capacity to protect or heal, the
creation of sacred spaces, or the use of clothing, vestments, or
liturgical objects in worship. Because human beings rely
heavily on sight for information about their worlds, images
of different kinds have always played an important role in the
design of religious spaces and rites and in the daily practices
of the devout. Art historians, anthropologists, archeologists,
and historians of religion have long noted the significance of
images in religious life.