Icons & Orthodox Christianity
“Learn: Sunday of Orthodoxy,” https://www.goarch.org/sunday-of-orthodoxy-learn
“1st Sunday of Great Lent: Sunday of Orthodoxy,” https://www.goarch.org/sunday-of-orthodoxy-learn
“No Graven Image: Icons and Their Proper Use,” https://orthochristian.com/69053.html
“Why Do Religious Icons Look so Odd?” https://www.thecompassnews.org/2015/12/why-do-religious-icons-look-so-odd/
“An Introduction to Iconography,” https://www.thegoodshepherd.org.au/iconography
“What Do Icons Mean?” https://www.orthodoxroad.com/what-do-icons-mean/
Georgia Dourdoulakis’s Presentation on Orthodox Icons:
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
14 January 2023
Consider and discuss why and how icons are central to our faith and orthodox practices.
Good afternoon Father George, Honorable judges and timekeepers, parishioners, and fellow students. Icons are vital to our faith. We see them all the time, whether it be on the iconostacion, in a family member's house, or our own home. The word icon itself primarily means image, likeness and representation. Many orthodox christians like to call icons theology in colors to stress that they are not simply forms of art used in or by the church. There is an order to how they are created, as well as how they are displayed in our church. Icons were originally taught about in the Orthodox religion at the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787 AD, and reaffirmed in the Council of 843 AD. There were also points in our religion in which we did not have icons. The Iconoclast controversy was, in simple words, the dispute of the use of religious images in the Byzantine empire. The iconoclasts rejected the use of religious images due to the belief that they violated the Ten Commandments. This however, is simply not true. It is imperative to remember that we do not pray to icons, we pray through them, therefore removing the idea that icons cause idol worship. Icons are windows of heaven, meaning that they are meant to unite the person depicted in them with us, causing heaven and hearth to merge together in a sense. Icons tell stories of the saints that came before us, and open our eyes to the history of our religion. Icons aid the person in prayer, and establish a deeper connection with God and his kingdom because they show the past and present of people who have been said to make it to heaven. “By so much more frequently as they are seen in artistic representation, by so much more readily are men lifted up to the memory of their prototypes, and to a longing after
them” (ASEC, Ch. 550). This quote represents the visual aspects of icons in prayer. To further this understanding, I am going to take a second to give you a mini science lesson. Because we process visual stimulation at lightning speed, images are likely to be the reason for strong emotion, which by result can lead to action. The so-called 'visual cortex,' responsible for processing visuals, is much more powerful than previously thought. This could be the reason why most people believe visuals are superior to text. But, the real question is, what does this have to do with icons? Since many people who were alive in the years that the bible was written were illiterate, the bible was able to be interpreted through icons. They are beautifully depicted to show us the stories of the bible, and have duality in their appearances. They give us aid to strengthen our prayer, which by extension, can further our relationship with God. To put this into perspective, I have an icon of Saint Seraphim in my bedroom. I often like to pray while sitting near or under the icon. My connection to this saint was brought on by the passing of an important loved one in my life, Father Seraphim Poulos. The visual representation brings me a feeling of closeness to him that I thought I would never be able to feel again. His death was one of the hardest things in my life for me to process, and having that window of visual and spiritual connection helped me more than I ever could have believed. I truly hope that, like me, icons can aid everyone in this room to the growth of their spiritual life, as well as bring them comfort, peace, and a strong relationship with God. Thank you.