Dear Dr Eric,
Fascinating article! I've seen others by Fr. Julian Katry OSBM and another by a Lutheran theologian on this very topic.
It seems that many outward symbols and rituals of early Christianity were done secretly so as not to call attention to one and thus, the small Sign of the Cross on the forehead with the thumb. The point about the "T" is important since it is held that it was this symbol that the Israelites inscribed on their doorposts in lamb's blood at the time of Moses (and it was also a pagan symbol of life among the Egyptians, the so-called "ankh" or "ansate Cross" in Christian heraldry - which has 285 different versions of the Cross to choose from).
The Old Believers say that the two-fingered Sign of the Cross comes directly from Christ and the Apostles. Certainly, it was widely known throughout Christendom and St Peter of Alexandria wrote that the two outstretched fingers represent the two Natures of Christ whilst the single hand that extends them represent that the Unity of them in Christ's Divine Person.
The two-fingered Sign of the Cross remained in the Roman provinces of the Church (Elder Rome and New Rome) for purposes of sacerdotal blessing - later only bishops in the West blessed this way, including the Pope, but I see RC priests blessing this way more and more.
But there is also the "Imenoslovni" way of forming the fingers for blessing, namely to shape them to reflect the letters "IC XC."
Later on, the three fingers became wide-spread, but not in Russia. In the West, as late as the time of St Francis of Assissi, Latin Catholics used the three fingered Sign of the Cross as indicated by a letter written by Pope Innocent III (and later frequently copied in EC prayerbooks as a testimony to Latin Catholics).
Among the Oriental Orthodox, one finger or three are used, but in Ethiopia, the thumb and index finger make a small Cross and this is used to bless oneself, from left to right- meaning that Christ took us from evil (left) to His Grace (right).
The monastic habit is also shaped like a "T" as is the staff with the T shaped top.
Alex
