Proclaiming Christ to Those in Search of the Unknown God Finding Christ in the Church: What Icons Teach Us about Him by Dn. Evan Freeman
Summer 2016
The iconographic program of a church is not a random collection of isolated images, but a thoughtful arrangement of icons that creates intertextual meanings within the architectural framework of the church. The church program— what icons are chosen, their composition, size, placement, etc.—is designed deliberately, with the same pastoral sensitivity as a homily. Keeping in mind that there is no one, correct church program, let us consider what the common features of many church programs teach us about Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the image of God par excellence, and the theological foundation of Orthodox icons.1 St. John of Damascus says, “Of old, God the incorporeal and formless was never depicted, but now that God has been seen in the flesh and has associated with human kind, I depict what I have seen of God.”2 The basis for all icons is the incarnation of the Logos: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”3
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that he is “the Word.” His halo always contains a cross: icons always preach “Jesus Christ and him crucified.”5
But meaning is not limited to what is inside the icon. When analyzing (or creating) an iconographic program, think: location, location, location. In the Byzantine understanding of the church building as a microcosm, the dome represents the heavens, and therefore the placement of the icon of the crucified and risen Christ in the dome is an image of God reigning in the heavens over all of creation. Christ is also the “head,” and the people gathered in worship below, together with the saints depicted on the wall, are his “body,” namely, the Church.6 The entire church program Figure 1: Jesus Christ, Pammakaristos Church spirals out and cascades down from this singular image of (Fethiye Camii), Istanbul Christ, evoking the words of St. Paul: “For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”7
The image of Christ in the dome is also eschatological, The most prominent anticipating Christ’s second icon in a church program is coming. We read in the often a large image of Christ account of the Ascension in in a dome over the nave, the Acts of the Holy Apostles: where he is often represented “While they were gazing into as the “Pantokrator”4 (figure heaven as he went, behold, 1) or sometimes at the Figure 2: The Annunciation, Chora Church two men stood by them in Ascension. In addition to a (Kariye Camii), Istanbul white robes, and said, ‘Men conventional physiognomy of Galilee, why do you stand (way of depicting Christ’s face, beard, hair, etc.) looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up and the Greek abbreviation “IC XC,” which stands from you into heaven, will come in the same way for “Jesus Christ,” various iconographic attributes as you saw him go into heaven.’”8 help the viewer identify and interpret the image of Christ: Christ is usually depicted in ancient Roman Narrative scenes are often depicted below the dress and blessing with his right hand. He holds central image of Christ. These usually depict events a Gospel book or scroll in his left hand, showing from the life of Christ or the Theotokos. These may
