The mind does not remain with the materials, because it does not trust them: that is the error of the idolaters. Through the materials, rather, the mind ascends toward the prototypes: this is the faith of the Orthodox.
The Seventh Ecumenical council provided the official authorization for iconography to continue in opposition to the iconoclasts, but it was nonetheless cautious with the language and stipulations:
“We, therefore, following the royal pathway and the divinely inspired authority of our Holy Fathers and the traditions of the catholic church (for, as we all know, the Holy Spirit indwells her), define with all certitude and accuracy that just as the figure of the precious and life-giving cross, so also the venerable and holy images, as well in painting and mosaic as of other fit materials, should be set forth in the holy churches of God, and on the sacred vessels and on the vestments and on hangings and in pictures both in houses and by the wayside, to wit, the figure of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, of our spotless Lady, the Mother of God, of the honourable Angels, of all Saints and of all pious people. For 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; and to these should be given due salutation and honourable reverence, not indeed that true worship of faith which pertains alone to the divine nature; but to these, as to the figure of the precious and life-giving Cross and to the Book of the Gospels and to the other holy objects, incense and lights may be offered according to ancient pious custom. For the honour which is paid to the image passes on to that which the image represents, and he who reveres the image reveres in it the subject represented. For thus the teaching of our holy Fathers, that is the tradition of the Catholic Church, which from one end of the earth to the other hath received the Gospel, is strengthened. Thus we follow Paul, who spake in Christ, and the whole divine Apostolic company and the holy Fathers, holding fast the traditions which we have received.”
I do not venerate the creation over the creator, but I venerate the creator who became creation like me, and came down into creation without humiliation and without being debased, in order to glorify my nature and make me to be partaker of the divine nature .... For the nature of flesh has not become deity, but, as the Word became flesh without change, remaining as he was, likewise the flesh became Word, without losing what it is, identifying moreover with the Word hypostatically. Thus, taking courage, I represent God, the invisible, not as invisible, but insofar as he has become visible for us by participation in flesh and blood. I do not represent the invisible deity but I represent the flesh of God which has been seen.
–St. John of Damascus
Icons in the Orthodox Church
A. Nicolaides
“The Eastern Orthodox Church or Orthodox Church is well known for its use of icons. It is a “right-believing” Church, from the Greek “ορθόδοξος”, which literally means “straight path”. It is total faithfulness and dedication to the truth. The founder of the Church is Jesus Christ who is the Divine Word and personal revelation of God the Father. In its churches and in the homes of its adherents, one encounters many Holy icons. What are icons? They are religious pictures, portraits or images, mainly associated with the paintings found in Orthodox Churches, which are used to depict God’s image and the Lord Jesus Christ, Angels, Orthodox Saints and events in biblical and church history. They portray Biblical events, parables and events that occurred in the course of the history of the Church. An icon is basically two-dimensional (Ouspensky & Lossky 1994). They are painted in egg tempura on wood; however, there are icons that are created by using mosaic tiles to create an image, stone or wood carving, embroidery on cloth, printed on paper or even metal. Icons play a very important role in the life and worship of the Orthodox Church. The word “icon” is derived from the Greek “εικων”. The word is found in the Septuagint (Greek Bible), where we read: “Then God said, let us make man in our image … so God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created” (Gen. 1:26-27). In the New Testament, in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, we read: “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15).”
“In the Orthodox Christian tradition, icons are not regarded as works of art; they are rather a visual gospel and windows into the spiritual realm. They are intended to assist believers to be more contemplative and prayerful. They guide believers into a life of prayer. There are, however, those who consider them to be idolatrous. Such a belief is erroneous, since the honouring of created beings does not detract from being totally devoted to the Creator in whose image they were created. Icons portraying God’s grace are sanctifying and help affirm the faith of Orthodox believers. Icons are a concrete theology that instructs and leads believers to a spiritual reality and ultimately sanctify them as they transform them. They ultimately serve as conduits to the healing of body and soul through the grace of God and are essentially a prelude to the final transfiguration of the world.”
“When reverence is shown to an icon, this should be done with the understanding that it is not the icon in itself that we are respecting, but rather the person or event it depicts. An icon is thus a window into the spiritual dimension, and should be used to help us contemplate spiritual issues. It is intended to lead us into a state of prayer and serves as a reminder of events in the Holy Bible, the life of Jesus Christ and the Saints. It is not an object to be worshipped. When Orthodox believers see an icon of our Lord, or of the Virgin Mary, for example, they are moved, because the icon recalls to them Christ’s love for humanity. Similarly, saints are venerated because God’s image is reflected in them. There is a recognition that it is through the grace of Our Lord that they performed miracles and were guided by the Paraclete.”
“Icons have a profound theological significance and are in themselves theology, anticipated to bring man closer to God. This idea transcends any words and concepts. In present-day Orthodoxy, iconography bears witness to the reality of the presence of God with believers in the mystery of the faith. To view icons as a tool for understanding the world of Christianity and thus God is indeed a very liberating idea. We do not live in a naturalistic world where important divine interaction is impossible. Christ became truly man and as such was truly the “icon of the invisible God” (col. 1:15; II cor. 4:4). This essentially means that we do not live in a classical Greek Platonic world of “shadows”. In this world, human experience, which we take to be real, is essentially only a shadow world, whereas the “real world” is the world of Ideas, which we arrive at intuitively. We do not need to flee from such a world in order to discern what God is doing for us. It means that we live in a world where everything that happens is a sacrament that demonstrates the glory of God. If we repudiate the image of the Lord, we are basically denying the great mystery of incarnation. The icons are not simply a visual gospel or aids to prayer and contemplation in daily life, but are rather witnesses to the presence of God’s Kingdom in the church. Icons are a visual representation of the entire history of humanity and are required in a spiritual sense, since “the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14). We are not in a Kantian world of experience of “phenomena” that prevent us from accessing fundamental realities or even underlying basic realities or “noumena”. The creation of man in the image of God, and his recreation in Christ as well as his transfiguration and his ultimate glory are all, symbolically, present in icons.”
