![]() ![]() 6 This indicated that the prohibition was not absolute but relative to the context and suited for a particular place and time, in order to prevent idolatry. One of the major iconophile theologians, John of Damascus (675–749), used the same source to show that if this commandment had been absolute in its character then God would have contradicted himself, 5 as God ordered Moses, in Exodus 25, to make "two cherubim" for the Arc of the Covenant. From the iconoclastic perspective, making images of Christ violated the Old Testament prohibition not to make any image "in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below" (Exodus 20,4). The iconoclasts accused the iconophiles of idolatry, impiety and heretical innovations that were against the tradition. The theology of icons that was formulated during this period would become canonical for the later Orthodox Christian tradition. It resulted in a major conflict, which continued to trouble the Empire for more than a century. 675–741), with a series of edicts that prohibited the use of images. The iconoclastic crisis in the Eastern Roman Empire was initiated by the first iconoclastic emperor, Leo III. For a developed theology of icons, one had to wait until the period of iconoclasm. ![]() In the early period there was no consistent Christian image theory. Christian images started to be produced on a massive scale, in order to decorate the large walls of the newly constructed basilicas. ![]() This, together with making Christianity the only legal faith of the Roman Empire (under Theodosius I, 347–395), allowed for an enormous expansion of Christian art. 280–337) the state became the major patron of the Church. Īfter the legalization of Christianity under Constantine the Great (ca. In the early Christian places of worship (domus ecclesiae) and in burial sites (catacombs), the most important rituals, personalities and narratives from the Church tradition were depicted, often employing vivid symbols. Using visual representations in Christianity has a very long tradition. In this sense, if one understands Christian faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11,1), an icon can be understood as a materialized faith, faith given "shape and body" in the course of history. Orthodox theology thus uses the concept of "icon" not only for visual representations of saints, but also for any media, actions, objects and even persons that perform this "iconic" role of "making present" here and now "things invisible" (cf. For these reasons, icons are honored the same way Christians have traditionally venerated the cross, or the Holy Scripture the Scripture expresses Christian faith with words, while icons do so with visual elements. Many Orthodox theologians call icons "theology in colors" 3 to stress that it is not simply a form of art which is used in or by the Church the significance of icons lies in their capacity to express the Christian faith and to "iconize" ( make present, although not fully and perfectly) the Kingdom of God already in the course of history. 2 In its contemporary usage in the Orthodox Church, the word is usually applied to the above-mentioned depictions that are painted on wooden panels, placed individually or as parts of iconostasis (altar screen). 1 However, the concept of "(holy) icon" is used in the Christian tradition to characterize not just any image or representation but, more specifically, the depiction of "Christ, Mother of God, a saint or an event from the sacred history, whether it be a sculpture or a painting on wood or on wall, regardless of the technique applied". εἰκών/εἰκόνα) primarily means "image", "likeness", "representation", or "depiction". Based on this, the article also explains the aesthetic elements of traditional Orthodox Christian iconography in connection with the complex web of mutual exchanges and influences (both theological and visual/stylistic) between Orthodox Christianity and Western European religious and artistic tradition. This article primarily examines the Orthodox Christian understanding of the image (icon) and its function within the context of the Orthodox Church and her theology. the "original") that the medium/image communicates. Both in its Christian and in the pop-cultural contexts the "icon" implies a specific relationship between the spectator, the image (visual medium), and the message (i.e. Although the meaning of these "icons" is different from the way this concept is used in Christian art and theology, it is not completely unrelated to the ancient connotations of the term "icon/iconic". "stars") or the "icons" that we find on our computer screens. It is used to denote things like the "icons" of our pop-culture (i.e. The word "icon" (and the adjective "iconic") is not an unfamiliar concept to the contemporary reader. Davor Džalto Original auf Original in English, ![]()
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