Greek Orthodox Iconography

User Posts : 339 Join date : 2010-05-12

I have a question for those of you here, of whom I consider my spiritual bretheren.

What is your opinion of Greek Orthodox Iconography?

[I realize there is allot of possible interpretation in any answer, but I think it best to allow for the individuality of the responder to determine where this takes us... Wink

]

Iconography of Christ

Thanks-

m

User Posts : 339 Join date : 2010-05-12

o.....k.....

Perhaps I'll "shimmy" on over to the Greek Ortho Church and get their Priests unbiased opinion....

Thanks

User Posts : 364 Join date : 2010-05-02

HI Matt,
Sorry not to respond too quickly to your topic, but I have worked solid on the house the last eight days. Its been heavy work at times and when you get to my age one gets knackered quickly!

You can almost here the violins playing!! Smile

Some reckon the Eastern Orthodox churches are closer to first century Christianity. I have not thought about their iconography in recent years. I am long past any witness prejudice I had once. Will consider the issue when I get time.

Regards
Derek

Subject: Re: Greek Orthodox Iconography Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:11 am

Hi Matt,

I believe that there has always been friction between those who believe in representing spiritual beings in art and those who believe it is idol worship.

Before I ever studied a Bible, I was on Crete for a while. The foreign contingent who lived there were very different from the tourists. Generally, they were folk with very alternative lifestyles who found their ways of life were pretty much ignored whereas they would be not tolerated so well in their home countries.

I often escaped this moral anarchy by going off by myself and sitting by the waterside having a smoke and just thinking about life. Sometimes I would go into the Greek Orthodox churches even though I thought the Greek Orthodox clergy were even more oppressive than my own R.C. priests. I thought the pictures and the tapestries tended to be dark but I found nothing offensive at all in them, maybe just a bit on the depressing side because they, and the churches in general, tended to be dark places. But there are times when a quiet, dark place to meditate is just the thing...

Here is a picture of Mary the God Bearer, called the theotokos:

Greek Orthodox Iconography Image_thumb

Regards,
Brendan.

User Posts : 339 Join date : 2010-05-12

Yep----the clergy of the greekorthos are a strange lot. Nerds with a cape and hat, and lots of dough.

I personally cannot stand the pics of 'Mary & Child". I think the icons of Christ are very beautful, and in the right context, nothing wrong with them. Beyond that, they are really not my cup of tea.

User Posts : 17 Join date : 2010-10-01 Age : 41

I have no idea! Very Happy

Subject: Re: Greek Orthodox Iconography Sat Oct 16, 2010 4:07 am

Hi guys,

There was a TV series recently called ‘How to Read Churches’. Part of that story was the struggle in Britain between Catholic and Protestant influences in the decoration of churches over the centuries. It was interesting to see how some folk embodied their faith in statues and other art forms while others vandalised those forms of worship with good motive.

This iconoclasm was prominent in Byzantium in the 8th and 9th centuries AD. Because this is long before the Puritans were around, and Roman Catholics seemed to be as fond of religious icons as the Greek Orthodox church, I’m not sure who was doing the objecting.

Regards,
Brendan.

User Posts : 364 Join date : 2010-05-02

Hi Brendan,
Have been watching the same series on churches, I also found it quite interesting.
Regards
Derek

brendan wrote:: Hi guys,

There was a TV series recently called ‘How to Read Churches’. Part of that story was the struggle in Britain between Catholic and Protestant influences in the decoration of churches over the centuries. It was interesting to see how some folk embodied their faith in statues and other art forms while others vandalised those forms of worship with good motive.

This iconoclasm was prominent in Byzantium in the 8th and 9th centuries AD. Because this is long before the Puritans were around, and Roman Catholics seemed to be as fond of religious icons as the Greek Orthodox church, I’m not sure who was doing the objecting.

Regards,
Brendan.