Abbreviations and Symbols
Abbreviations
IHS and XP
The letters IHS are a Latinized form of the first three letters of the Greek
version of the name “Jesus”. The full Greek form would normally
be: IHΣOYΣ but
the letter Σ (sigma) is usually converted to an S, and indeed in Gothic script it often looks like a letter C. (Note: Despite popular belief, the three letters are not the abbreviation of some Latin phrase.)
Similarly XP (the X is often written on the stem of the P) are the first two
letters of the Greek word XPIΣTOΣ, usually transliterated as “Christos” or “Christ”.
The symbol is usually known as the “Chi-Rho” because Chi and Rho
are the names of the two letters. (They do not correspond to the two English
letters they resemble.)
AMDG
The letters AMDG occur on quite a lot of the items in some churches. The abbreviation
stands for the Latin phrase:
Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
which translates:
To the Greater Glory of God
INRI
These letters most often occur at the top of a crucifix, but are sometimes used to link something else (such as eucharistic symbols) to the crucifixion. They are an abbreviation of:
Iesus Nazarenis Rex Iudaeorum
meaning
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews
which is the Latin version of the inscription attached to the top of the cross, originally in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
Symbols
Fish
The fish is probably the oldest symbol used by Christians to represent their
faith, predating the use of the cross by several hundred years. Besides being appropriate
because of the occurrence of fish and fishermen in the story of Jesus, it is
also an acrostic. It is based on the expression:
IHΣOYΣ XPIΣTOΣ ΘEOY YIOΣ ΣΩTHP
which means:
Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour
The first letters of each word of the Greek expression themselves make up
the word IXΘYΣ,
(or ichthus) which is the Greek word for “fish”.
Man, Lion, Ox and Eagle
The traditional symbols of the four evangelists (ie the writers of
the four Gospels). Matthew is represented by a man, Mark by a lion, Luke by
an ox, and John by an eagle. In practice all four are often supplied with
wings.
The set of four comes originally from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. (See
Ezekiel 1.4-14, especially v10 - the description there is of the Cherubim,
the “living
creatures” who were the throne-bearers of the Almighty.) The picture
is taken up again in the book of Revelation (see especially Revelation 4.7).
The idea of the symbolism is that the Gospels present four faces of one truth.
The meaning of each is that Matthew is supposed to be the Gospel which emphasises
the human side of Christ, Mark the kingly side, Luke the side of Christ as
a sacrifice, and John gives an over-arching vision. (Modern theologians might
well dispute these understandings, but this is the traditional view!)
A and Ω
Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Together
they mean “the beginning and the end”, so between them symbolize
eternity. The expression is used explicitly of God in Revelation 1.8.
Pelican
It used to be thought that the female pelican fed her young with her own blood. This can easily be understood as a symbol of Christ giving his own blood for mankind. The depicition of the pelican feeding her young in this way is often referred to as the "pelican in her piety".
| 
