Posts Tagged ‘Symbolism’
The Icon of The Last Judgement
The icon of the Last Judgement is one of the most complex Christian images. As depicting the final things, it is a synthesis of the cosmic mystery. As an image of judgement, it is also the place where everything is resolved by Christ. From the very first moments in my burgeoning interest in iconology, I…
Continue reading »Pentecost For The Zombie Apocalypse
(This talk on the meaning of the Zombie and on the place of monsters in the world was given at the OCA Diocese of the South Annual conference in Chattanooga, on July 27, 2017) We live in a time of monsters. I announce this to you but I think you already know that. We only need…
Continue reading »Nicholas Kotar Publishes The Song of Sirin
(Editor’s note: We are excited to announce that Nicholas Kotar, who has written a few great pieces for OAJ, has recently published his first novel. Here is a version of his press release.) Orthodox Writer writes a fantasy novel inspired by Russian fairy tales and the Lives of the Saints. Discouraged by the lack…
Continue reading »Notes on Method
St. Mamas of Caesarea by Fr. Silouan Justiniano. Egg tempera on wood, 46 in. x 31 in. One has to know technique, but one also needs to know art. An icon should be like a ‘painting’, like a prayer written with beautiful letters…There are many craftsmen, but few real iconographers. Make an icon, a…
Continue reading »Jordan Peterson, Religious Symbolism and Popular Culture
For 5 years now I have been writing on many subjects for OAJ. Most of my attention has been to elucidate the patterns in iconography and liturgical arts and how these patterns relate to Scripture, to other traditions all the while acting as a map of how we should live in the world as Christians.…
Continue reading »Divine Patterns in the Life of Moses
This is post 2 of 2 in the series “Divine Patterns In Story and Image” Jonathan Pageau traces the patterns in Biblical stories and the Church Fathers, showing how they repeat themselves everywhere and act as a cosmic map. Divine Patterns in Story and Image pt.1 Divine Patterns in the Life of Moses Divine Patters…
Continue reading »On the Gift of Art…Part V: The Threshold
This is post 5 of 5 in the series “On the Gift of Art… But, What Art” Fr. Silouan explores points of contact and departure between traditional visions of art and contemporary art as we know it today. On the Gift of Art… But, What Art? On the Gift of Art…Part II: The Traditional Doctrine…
Continue reading »A New Icon of St. Mary of Egypt and St. Zosimas: Notes on Form & Symbolism
A New Icon of St. Mary of Egypt and St. Zosimas Notes on Form & Symbolism By Fr. Silouan Justiniano In thee, O Mother, was exactly preserved what was according to the divine image. For thou didst take the cross and follow Christ, and by thy life, didst teach us to ignore the flesh,…
Continue reading »Two images of the Church and why they should not be confused.
Christological and Pneumatological Images of the Church In early Christian art, there developed a series of complementary visual relationships which I have discussed on numerous occasions and have come to often characterize as the right hand and the left hand of Christ. These elements, like the ass and the ox, St-Peter and St-Paul, the good…
Continue reading »The Samaritan Woman, Baptism and the Hexagon
A little while ago an iconographer wrote me to ask advice on what shape he should make the well in an icon of the Samaritan Woman, who is known in tradition as St-Photini. After answering him, I realized that this detail in the icon is a good example of how so much can be hidden…
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