Book excerpt: What makes a picture offensive to some people and not to others? In diverse, pluralistic societies around the world, images are triggering heated controversy as never before. Their study offers a perfect entry point into the clashes between different values, ideas, and sensibilities. How is the relation between regimes of visibility in art, journalism, politics, and religion negotiated in plural settings? Situated at the interface of art history, anthropology and religious studies, this volume unravels the dynamics of taking offense in current politics and aesthetics of cultural representation in Europe and beyond.