But some American Indians may see a symbol similar to a cross and think of the spiritual meaning of the four directions. To Hindus, a cross shaped in the form of a swastika means peace.

In pre-Christian Chinese tradition, a cross represented perfection.

Because most religious symbols are often common objects, scholars say, they are often commonly shared among those traditions. But from faith to faith, the meaning of the symbols can be similar or quite different.

Almost every religion has a symbol that resembles a cross, and it’s a perfect example of one symbol with multiple and even contradictory meanings.

“The cross is the most basic symbol in the history of the world,” said Brent Plate, assistant professor of religion and visual arts at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. “Native American Indian traditions have a simple cross that is related to the four directions.

“In early China, there was a cross as a sign for perfection. Alchemists have used it for the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. The swastika is an ancient cross symbol that has been an Asian tradition for thousands of years.”

The swastika cross has been a symbol of peace used by Hindus for thousands of years during prayer and worship services, said Anand Bhattacharyya, an area Hindu. “I remember my mother used to draw this symbol on the wall when she would pray,” he said. “Even now this symbol is widely used in Hindu places of worship.”

But because it was used as a Nazi symbol, a lot of visitors to the Hindu temple are curious about its presence there, Bhattacharyya said. They have to explain that the word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit word for peace.

The themes of rebirth and resurrection, of interest to Christians this time of year, are sometimes symbolized by the butterfly or the phoenix. Both symbols predate Christianity.

In ancient Greek and Roman traditions, the butterfly meant the soul leaving the body at death, said Alejandro Garcia-Rivera, associate professor of systematic theology, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union.

The life cycle of caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly is fairly common among religions, with a similar meaning of transformation, said Garcia-Rivera, who has written widely on religious symbols.

The idea of resurrection is more Christian, he said, with the butterfly symbolizing the resurrection of the human soul. Often in art, he said, baby Jesus is shown playing with a butterfly.

The phoenix is another symbol of renewal. It comes from ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. According to the legend, the large bird lived 500 years, then would build a nest, set the nest on fire and would be consumed by the flames. From those ashes a new phoenix would arise to live for the next 500 years.

“The early Christians adopted this as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection,” Garcia-Rivera said. “You saw this in the catacombs and other places where early Christians were buried. In China, it was the king of birds and a symbol of the sun, and it is also found in Turkey and Persian cultures.

“The phoenix also has a parallel to the Mesoamerican symbol, the Quetzalcoatl, the feathered snake (bird-snake) that would give up its life and be burned and rise again from the ashes to re-create the world,” Garcia-Rivera said.

Judaism and Christianity share bread as a symbol but with somewhat varied meanings.

First, Jesus referred to himself in the Gospel of John as “the bread of life.” As a food, bread is the basic food that sustains life.

In the Jewish tradition, bread is the symbol of the sustenance of life, said Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff of Congregation B’nai Jehudah.

“Every time we eat bread, we say a blessing,” Nemitoff said. “The blessing thanks God who brings forth bread from the earth. This teaches that even in something as basic as eating we have to partner with God, and only by human hands does the grain become bread, so, too, only with human hands is God’s work accomplished.”

In Christianity, bread can also represent something necessary to life: eternal life.

“When (Jesus) says, ‘I am the bread of life,’ he is taking something common and supercharging it with meaning,” said Plate, who is an expert on religious iconography and symbols. “He is claiming that he is essential to life itself, just like bread.”

The implication is that Jesus is the bread that gives eternal life. At his last meal before the Crucifixion, Jesus refers to his body as bread. These words are repeated at Christian Communion services.

“The connection theologically is the promise of a banquet in the life of resurrection, a foretaste of the feast to come,” Garcia-Rivera said. “It is a symbol of the big party after the kingdom of God comes, a foretaste of what heaven will be for all of us.”

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.