Twin Spirits I supposeGxg, you and I have been running into each other here at CF for some time now; and it seems we are always on the same page!
To depict Christ, one does not have to depict a nature; in fact, it is impossible to depict a nature of any sort. To depict Christ, one has to depict the hypostasis of Christ; that is, his Person. And that Person became human, thus, he can be depicted as a human.
Verses 1 and 2 describe Christ as light and sun.
St. Joseph may've been presented that way due to a myriad of reasons - for the man was indeed Holy as his wife/child were - but I do think, after being as tired as he was, that he was just worn out and perhaps the glow wasn't workingHalos are also used to depict holiness or divinity; and are also used to draw attention to particular individuals who are significant in a particular depiction of a specific part of Scripture.
For example, look at the Icon of the Nativity in Gxg's signature; a halo on the head of the Baby Jesus, and on the head of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I feel bad that St. Joseph was left out.
Gxg (G²);63572857 said:St. Joseph may've been presented that way due to a myriad of reasons - for the man was indeed Holy as his wife/child were - but I do think, after being as tired as he was, that he was just worn out and perhaps the glow wasn't working
At that moment depicted in that icon, the angels are now present; so with all that Glory abounding, Joseph's batteries should soon be recharged!
ooops sorry wrong post
Those are not depictions of the Divine Nature, though, but of theanthropic acts performed by, and presences of, the one Hypostasis of Christ. In Christology, nature can only be encountered through Hypostasis. Furthermore, when Christ does something divine, it is his divinity shining forth through his humanity, and vis versa if one takes the Imago Dei seriously.
ooops sorry wrong post
Hard for many to accept that...these things are representations of His Divinity "shining through" His humanity.
Yet, in iconography there are ways that the Iconographer/sculptor does represent the divine nature: I have seen icons, and many of our Lutheran Churches have statues of our risen Lord which depict him alive yet having the wounds of His Passion; I have seen depictions of His ascension; of Him seated on a throne as the King of Heaven and Earth; I have also seen depictions of the Annunciation.
For example, look at the Icon of the Nativity in Gxg's signature; a halo on the head of the Baby Jesus, and on the head of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I feel bad that St. Joseph was left out.
Images are also created out side of what God has provided for us in Scripture by another group of Iconographers that are often overlooked; the Hymnographers who use words to draw pictures. We see this in one of St. Ambrose's hymns; highlights are mine:
Verses 1 and 2 describe Christ as light and sun.
Verse 6 reliterates the Biblical ideas of Christ as the "bread of life" and also eludes to His true presence in the Eucharist.
Verse 8 used the idea of the rising sun, the "true dawn" as an image for Christ.
The other verses of this hymn are prayer, and the whole hymn itself draws an image of God as the Holy Trinity.
In the Agnus Dei Christ is depicted as a sacrificial lamb, and harkens back to the words of St. John the Baptist:
Those same words inspire art like this, which combines the symbolism of the Sun in St. Ambrose's hymn, John the Baptist's Lamb of God, and the Book of the Seven Seals from the Revelation of St. John. This mosaic can be found above the main door of The Church of our Lady in Guelph Ontario.
It should be noted that we even use Christ in our depictions of the Burning Bush and the Holy Spirit, as in the dove at Christ's baptism. Although it is sometimes seen, I am told it is not appropriate to have the dove on its own.
Certainly, one does not need icons to worship God, but they do enhance and focus that worship.
All too often in reformed protestant Churches, the emphasis seems to be one of a theology of personal glory, rather than a theology of the Cross: "I" accepted Christ; "I" was born again etc... Likewise, stages with bands and choirs make it more of a performance than a Church service, particularly in some of the charismatic Churches. At least with an Altar, one has a point of focus. I have frequently seen also in Non Denominational Churches/charismatic Baptist and Pentecostals in my town that they tend to be "personality cults"; when a preacher retires or leaves, there is also an ex-migration from that Church to one of the others that act similarly. When a bunch arrive at another Church, some of that Churches membership get's their noses out of joint and they move. Same thing happens when a new preacher arrives; a bunch of new members arrive too; a bunch of old ones leave.
I also have seen many situations where these Christians are less than humble because they can keep the legalism imposed by their Church better than other outside, and even others within their Congregation.
In my mind, these are forms of idolatry; "I must feel good"; "I must be entertained"; "I don't like what that Pastor is telling us"; "I could never listen to another Pastor"; I am most righteous.
I, I, I, I, I; me, me, me. It's about self, so the individual often becomes their own idol; and is more central than our Lord Jesus Christ!
Boy you are spot on with that, the cult of personality thing, the idolatry of self, more investment in the production of worship than anything with actual substance. Did you visit my old evangelical church?
Seriously though, this is like a laundry list of everything that marked the decline of my old church, 10 years ago there were probably 2,000 members, now there's <600 and falling. Not that my old church was an exception of any kind, I've seen this in many evangelical churches. Hence the mass exodus of evangelicals to higher forms of the faith like Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, et al.
