Early Christian Attitudes Toward Images

Author : Steven Bigham,Stéphane Bigham
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Art
ISBN : 097456186X

Get Book

Early Christian Attitudes Toward Images by Steven Bigham,Stéphane Bigham Pdf

For all iconophiles, that is, those who accept the dogma of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, but especially the Orthodox who claim that the icon has a sacramental and mystical character, it is naturally disquieting to hear the claim that the early Christians were aniconic and iconophobic. If this claim is true, the theology and the veneration of the icon are seriously undermined. It is, therefore, natural for iconophiles to attempt to disprove the thesis according to which the early Christians had no images whatsoever (aniconic) because they believed them to be idols (iconophobic). It is equally natural for iconophiles to want to substantiate, as much as this is possible, their deep intuition that the roots of Christian iconography go back to the apostolic age. This study weakens the notion and credibility of the alleged hostility of the early Christians to non-idolatrous images, providing a more balanced evaluation of this question.

Author : Robin M. Jensen
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2022-09-13
Category : Art
ISBN : 9780520345423

Get Book

From Idols to Icons by Robin M. Jensen Pdf

"From Idols to Icons tells the fascinating history of the dramatic shift in Christian attitudes toward sacred images from the third through the early seventh century. From attacks on the cult images of polytheism to the emergence of Christian narrative iconography to the appearance of portrait type representations of holy figures, this book examines the primary theological critiques as well as defenses of holy images in light of the surviving material evidence for early Christian visual art. Against the assumption that fourth- and fifth-century Christians simply forgot or ignored their predecessors' censure and reverted to more alluring pagan practices, Robin M. Jensen contends that each stage of this profound change was uniquely Christian. Through a careful consideration of the cult of saints' remains, devotional portraits, and pilgrimage to sacred sites, Jensen shows how the Christian devotion to holy images came to be rooted in their evolving conviction that the divinity was accessible in and through visible objects. Even the briefest glance at a museum's holdings or an introductory textbook demonstrates how profoundly influential this belief would be on the course of Western art for the next fifteen hundred years"--

Author : C. John Cadoux
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2021-04-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781666706253

Get Book

The Early Christian Attitude to War by C. John Cadoux Pdf

Author : John Givens
Publisher : Cornell University Press
Page : 393 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2018-05-29
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781609092382

Get Book

The Image of Christ in Russian Literature by John Givens Pdf

Vladimir Nabokov complained about the number of Dostoevsky's characters "sinning their way to Jesus." In truth, Christ is an elusive figure not only in Dostoevsky's novels, but in Russian literature as a whole. The rise of the historical critical method of biblical criticism in the nineteenth century and the growth of secularism it stimulated made an earnest affirmation of Jesus in literature highly problematic. If they affirmed Jesus too directly, writers paradoxically risked diminishing him, either by deploying faith explanations that no longer persuade in an age of skepticism or by reducing Christ to a mere argument in an ideological dispute. The writers at the heart of this study understood that to reimage Christ for their age, they had to make him known through indirect, even negative ways, lest what they say about him be mistaken for cliché, doctrine, or naïve apologetics. The Christology of Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Bulgakov, and Boris Pasternak is thus apophatic because they deploy negative formulations (saying what God is not) in their writings about Jesus. Professions of atheism in Dostoevsky and Tolstoy's non-divine Jesus are but separate negative paths toward truer discernment of Christ. This first study in English of the image of Christ in Russian literature highlights the importance of apophaticism as a theological practice and a literary method in understanding the Russian Christ. It also emphasizes the importance of skepticism in Russian literary attitudes toward Jesus on the part of writers whose private crucibles of doubt produced some of the most provocative and enduring images of Christ in world literature. This important study will appeal to scholars and students of Orthodox Christianity and Russian literature, as well as educated general readers interested in religion and nineteenth-century Russian novels.

Author : Anthony Bale
Publisher : Reaktion Books
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2012-01-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9781780230016

Get Book

Feeling Persecuted by Anthony Bale Pdf

In Feeling Persecuted, Anthony Bale explores the medieval Christian attitude toward Jews, which included a pervasive fear of persecution and an imagined fear of violence enacted against Christians. As a result, Christians retaliated with expulsions, riots, and murders that systematically denied Jews the right to religious freedom and peace. Through close readings of a wide range of sources, Bale exposes the perceived violence enacted by the Jews and how the images of this Christian suffering and persecution were central to medieval ideas of love, community, and home. The images and texts explored by Bale expose a surprising practice of recreational persecution and show that the violence perpetrated against medieval Jews was far from simple anti-Semitism and was in fact a complex part of medieval life and culture. Bale’s comprehensive look at medieval poetry, drama, visual culture, theology, and philosophy makes Feeling Persecuted an important read for anyone interested in the history of Christian-Jewish relations and the impact of this history on modern culture.

Author : D. A. Carson
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2018-12-19
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781532677540

Get Book

Themelios, Volume 43, Issue 3 by D. A. Carson Pdf

Themelios is an international, evangelical, peer-reviewed theological journal that expounds and defends the historic Christian faith. Themelios is published three times a year online at The Gospel Coalition (http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/) and in print by Wipf and Stock. Its primary audience is theological students and pastors, though scholars read it as well. Themelios began in 1975 and was operated by RTSF/UCCF in the UK, and it became a digital journal operated by The Gospel Coalition in 2008. The editorial team draws participants from across the globe as editors, essayists, and reviewers. General Editor: D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Managing Editor: Brian Tabb, Bethlehem College and Seminary Consulting Editor: Michael J. Ovey, Oak Hill Theological College Administrator: Andrew David Naselli, Bethlehem College and Seminary Book Review Editors: Jerry Hwang, Singapore Bible College; Alan Thompson, Sydney Missionary & Bible College; Nathan A. Finn, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Hans Madueme, Covenant College; Dane Ortlund, Crossway; Jason Sexton, Golden Gate Baptist Seminary Editorial Board: Gerald Bray, Beeson Divinity School Lee Gatiss, Wales Evangelical School of Theology Paul Helseth, University of Northwestern, St. Paul Paul House, Beeson Divinity School Ken Magnuson, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Jonathan Pennington, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary James Robson, Wycliffe Hall Mark D. Thompson, Moore Theological College Paul Williamson, Moore Theological College Stephen Witmer, Pepperell Christian Fellowship Robert Yarbrough, Covenant Seminary

Author : Lee M. Jefferson
Publisher : Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Page : 245 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Art
ISBN : 9781451477931

Get Book

Christ the Miracle Worker in Early Christian Art by Lee M. Jefferson Pdf

Images and artistic representations were of significant value to the early Christian communities. In Christ the Miracle Worker in Early Christian Art, Lee Jefferson argues, in fact, that images provided visual representations of vital religious and theological truths crucial to the faithful, by which art possessed the power to project concepts and claims beyond the limitations of the written and spoken word. Images of Christ performing miracles or healings, as demonstrated in this volume, functioned as advertisements for Christianity and illustrated explications of the nature of Christ. These images of Christ as worker of miracles and healing form the nucleus of an extensive examination of this power of art, its role in fostering devotion, and the deep connection between art and its underwriting and elucidation of pivotal theological claims and developments. (back cover).

Author : Everett Ferguson
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Page : 676 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : History
ISBN : 0802822215

Get Book

Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Ferguson Pdf

New to this expanded & updated edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, & a fresh dicussion of first century social life, the Dead Sea Scrolls & much else.

Author : Robin M. Jensen
Publisher : Baker Books
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2012-06-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781441236272

Get Book

Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity by Robin M. Jensen Pdf

What can we learn from early Christian imagery about the theological meaning of baptism? Robin Jensen, a leading scholar of early Christian art and worship, examines multiple dimensions of the early Christian baptismal rite. She explores five models for understanding baptism--as cleansing from sin, sickness, and Satan; as incorporation into the community; as sanctifying and illuminative; as death and regeneration; and as the beginning of the new creation--showing how visual images, poetic language, architectural space, and symbolic actions signify and convey the theological meaning of this ritual practice. Considering image and action together, Jensen offers a holistic and integrated understanding of the power of baptism. The book is illustrated with photos.

Author : Jenn Cianca
Publisher : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2018-05-23
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780773554245

Get Book

Sacred Ritual, Profane Space by Jenn Cianca Pdf

The first three centuries of Christianity are increasingly seen in modern scholarship as sites of complexity. Sacred Ritual, Profane Space examines the Christian meeting places of the time and overturns long-held notions about the earliest Christians as utopian rather than place-bound people. By mapping what is known from early Christian texts onto the archaeological data for Roman domestic spaces, Jenn Cianca provides a new lens for examining the relationship between early Christianity and sites of worship. She proposes that not only were Roman homes sacred sites in their own right but they were also considered sacred by the Christian communities that used them. In many cases, meeting space would have included the presence of the Roman domestic cult shrines. Despite the fact that the domestic cult was polytheistic, Cianca asserts that its practices likely continued in places used for worship by Christians. She also argues that continued practice of the domestic cult in Roman domestic spaces did not preclude Christians from using houses as churches or from understanding their rituals or their meeting places as sacred. Raising a host of questions about identity, ritual affiliation, and domestic practice, Sacred Ritual, Profane Space demonstrates how sacred space was constructed through ritual enactment in early Christian communities.

Author : Michael Frassetto
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2006-12-13
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781135866419

Get Book

Christian Attitudes Toward the Jews in the Middle Ages by Michael Frassetto Pdf

Drawing from an equally wide range of sources-sermons, polemical texts, theological treatises, hagiographical and devotional works, and histories-the volume demonstrates the emergence of a profoundly negative image of the Jews that established many of the stereotypes of classic Christian anti-Semitism. The volume, in particular, argues that the essential turning point in relations between Christians and Jews occurred in the eleventh century, especially the early eleventh century when the first wave of persecutions of the Jews took place.

Author : Mikeal C. Parsons,Robin M. Jensen
Publisher : SBL Press
Page : 391 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2024-01-15
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781628373592

Get Book

Early Christians and Their Art by Mikeal C. Parsons,Robin M. Jensen Pdf

This collection of eleven essays by biblical scholars, art historians, and experts in early Christianity explores a variety of topics and issues regarding the material culture of early Christianity recovered from Italy, Syria, Tunisia, and beyond. The essays place early Christian art representing such symbols as crosses, anchors, and shepherds found in sarcophagi, catacombs, architecture, mosaics, gems, and more in dialogue with New Testament and early Christian texts. Contributors Gregory M. Barnhill, Eric J. Brewer, Jeffrey M. Dale,† Zen Hess, Heidi J. Hornik, Jeffrey M. Hubbard, Robin M. Jensen, Bruce W. Longenecker, Mikeal Parsons, Christian Sanchez, Natalie Webb, Jason A. Whitlark, and David E. Wilhite place early Christian beliefs and practices in their proper historical, cultural, political, and religious contexts for scholars and students of the ancient world.

Author : Jorge Tomás García,Sandra Sáenz-López Pérez
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 213 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2022-04-06
Category : Art
ISBN : 9781000574180

Get Book

Iconotropy and Cult Images from the Ancient to Modern World by Jorge Tomás García,Sandra Sáenz-López Pérez Pdf

The book examines the process of symbolic and material alteration of religious images in antiquity, the middle ages and the modern period. The process by which the form and meaning of images are modified and adapted for a new context is defined by a large number of spiritual, religious, artistic, geographical or historical circumstances. This book provides a defined theoretical framework for these symbolic and material alterations based on the concept of iconotropy; that is, the way in which images change and/or alter their meaning. Iconotropy is a key concept in religious history, particularly for periods in which religious changes, often turbulent, took place. In addition, the iconotropic process of appropriating cult images brought with it changes in the materiality of those images. Numerous accounts from antiquity, the middle ages and the modern period detail how cult images were involved in such processes of misinterpretation, both symbolically and materially. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, visual culture and religious history.

Author : Christopher Hancock
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 697 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2020-12-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780567657695

Get Book

Christianity and Confucianism by Christopher Hancock Pdf

Christianity and Confucianism: Culture, Faith and Politics, sets comparative textual analysis against the backcloth of 2000 years of cultural, political, and religious interaction between China and the West. As the world responds to China's rise and China positions herself for global engagement, this major new study reawakens and revises an ancient conversation. As a generous introduction to biblical Christianity and the Confucian Classics, Christianity and Confucianism tells a remarkable story of mutual formation and cultural indebtedness. East and West are shown to have shaped the mind, heart, culture, philosophy and politics of the other - and far more, perhaps, than either knows or would want to admit. Christopher Hancock has provided a rich and stimulating resource for scholars and students, diplomats and social scientists, devotees of culture and those who pursue wisdom and peace today.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 579 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2010-05-17
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789047444534

Get Book

Religious Diversity in Late Antiquity by Anonim Pdf

This volume in the ongoing Late Antique Archaeology series draws on material and textual evidence to explore the diverse religious world of Late Antiquity. Subjects include Jews and Samaritans, orthodoxy and heresy, pilgrimage, stylites, magic, the sacred and the secular.