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Byzantine Iconoclasm
Byzantine Iconoclasm %rom &i'ipedia, the free encyclopedia The Byzantine Iconoclasm )*reek: Εἰκονομαχία, Eikonomachía) refers to t,o periods in the history of the Byzantine -mpire ,hen -mperors, bac'ed by imperially-appointed leaders and councils of the *reek /rthodox Church, imposed a ban on religious images or icons. The 0%irst Iconoclasm0, as it is sometimes called, lasted bet,een about 123 and 141, ,hen a change on the throne reversed the ban. The 05econd Iconoclasm0 ,as bet,een 4#6 and 467. Iconoclasm, *reek for 0image-brea'ing0, is the deliberate destruction ,ithin a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. People ,ho engage in or support iconoclasm are called iconoclasts, a term that has come to be applied figuratively to any person ,ho brea's or disdains established dogmata or conventions. Conversely, A simple cross: example of people ,ho revere or venerate religious images are iconoclast art in the Hagia derisively called 0iconolaters0 )εἰκονολάτραι+. (hey Irene Church in Istanbul. are normally 'nown as 0iconodules0 )εἰκονόδουλοι+, or 0iconophiles0 )εἰκονόφιλοι+. Iconoclasm may be carried out by people of a different religion, but is often the result of sectarian disputes bet,een factions of the same religion. In Christianity, iconoclasm has generally been motivated by an 0/ld.Covenant0 interpretation of the Ten Commandments, ,hich forbid the ma'ing and ,orshipping of 0graven images0, see also Biblical la, in Christianity. The t,o serious outbrea's of iconoclasm in the Byzantine -mpire during the 4th and !th centuries ,ere unusual in that the use of images ,as the main issue in the dispute, rather Byzantine Iconoclasm, Chludov than a by-product of ,ider concerns. -
The Person of Christ in the Seventh–Day Adventism: Doctrine–Building and E
Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Butoiu, Nicolae (2018) The person of Christ in the Seventh–day Adventism: doctrine–building and E. J. Wagonner’s potential in developing christological dialogue with eastern Christianity. PhD thesis, Middlesex University / Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/24350/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Works, including theses and research projects, may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from them, or their content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). They may not be sold or exploited commercially in any format or medium without the prior written permission of the copyright holder(s). Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author’s name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pag- ination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award. If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address: [email protected] The item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated. -
Iconoclasm: a Christian Dilemma
ICONOCLASM: A CHRISTIAN DILEMMA - A BYZANTINE CONTROVERSY By STEPHEN CHARLES STEACY •• Bachelor of Arts Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 1969 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS December, 1978 ICONOCLASM: A CHRISTIAN DILEMMA - A BYZANTINE CONTROVERSY Thesis Approved: '. ~- Dean of the Graduate College 1019541 ii P~F~E This thesis is concerned with Iconoclasm, the religious upheaval which troubled the Byzantine conscience for over a century. There have been numerous theories adduced by his torians to account for this phenomenon. It is the purpose of this study to view the varying interpretations, analyze their shortcomings, and to put forth a different view of the controversy, one that more adequately expresses the deeply rooted religious nature of the movement, a movement not only of the eighth and ninth centuries but an idea which was nurtured in fertile soil of the Old Testament and Apostolic Christianity. The author wishes to express heartfelt appreciation to his thesis adviser, Dr. George Jewsbury, whose unflagging solicitude, support, and inspiration were instrumental in the preparation of this work. A note of thanks is given to Mrs. Karen Hoyer, whose typing expertise, in the final analysis, made the difference between success and failure. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 1 II. THEOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL COURSES OF THE CONTROVERSY. • • . • . • • . • . 13 Genesis of the Cult of Icons .•.• 13 The Scriptures as the Foundation of Iconoclasm. 26 Precursors of ·the Iconoclast Movement . 30 Origen . 31 Eusebius . -
Ecumenical Councils Preparing for Next Week (Disciple 6–Eucharist 1)
January St. Dominic’s RCIA Program Disciple The Church: 15 History & Teaching 4 Goal • Having switched the Disciple 4 & 5 weeks, we looks at an overview of the Sacraments last week (Disciple 5), and explored the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. These Sacraments are two of the three that initiate us into the Church community, and into Christ’s body and mission. This week we’ll continue to unpack the meaning of Church by looking broadly at its history one the last 2000 years. We’ll also explore it’s role as Teacher. How does the Church function in and through history? How does God walk with the Church through it all? Agenda • Welcome/Housekeeping (10) • Questions & Answers • Introduction to the Rosary (15) Discussion (15): • If the Church is The Body of Christ, what does this mean for Christ’s presence in the world through history and in the world today? • What do I admire about the Catholic Church’s activity in history? Does any part of the Church’s activity in history disturb or upset me? • How do I (might I) listen to what the Church has to say today? What is my approach/attitude to the Church as “Teacher”? • Presentation: The Church: History (35) • Break (10) • Presentation: The Church: Teaching & Belief (30) • Discussion (time permitting): • What is special to this moment in history? • What is the Good News of Christ & the Church that speaks to this moment in history? • How can the body of Christ proclaim & witness the Gospel and walk with others today? Housekeeping Notes • Rite of Acceptance: February 10th at the 11:30am and 5:30 Masses. -
A Pagan Relic in Byzantine Imperial Acclamations?
CHAPTER TWO PHTHONOS: A PAGAN RELIC IN BYZANTINE IMPERIAL ACCLAMATIONS? Martin Hinterberger The spoken word is of eminent importance for most rituals. Ritual speech normally is highly formulaic and symbolic, whereas in the context of cere- monies words unfold an even greater power than in everyday communi- cation. For the full understanding of rituals and of the mindset underlying them, therefore, the analysis of the words used is essential. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the semantic shift that words of special signi- ficance for certain imperial rituals underwent, and to analyse the meaning of the rituals concerned, which was also changed as a consequence. More specifically, I am going to examine closely the concept of phthonos, which occurs in several imperial acclamations in similar ceremonial contexts.1 This concept is crucial for the understanding of the ritual connected to it. As a starting point of my enquiry I have chosen the imperial acclamation at the iconoclastic Council of Hieria (an Asiatic suburb of Constantinople, close to Chalcedon), because, as far as I know, this is the latest occurrence of the word phthonos in the context of an imperial acclamation. Later in my chapter, though, I will refer to earlier acclamations, and finally I will discuss the meaning of phthonos in the fourth and fifth centuries in gene- ral. The investigation of the meaning of phthonos in the context of impe- rial acclamations will also demonstrate how Byzantine attitudes about dangerous supernatural powers threatening the emperor and the empire itself are reflected in imperial ceremonies. 1 On acclamations in general, see Ch. -
The Christian Movement in the Second and Third Centuries
WMF1 9/13/2004 5:36 PM Page 10 The Christian Movement 1 in the Second and Third Centuries 1Christians in the Roman Empire 2 The First Theologians 3Constructing Christian Churches 1Christians in the Roman Empire We begin at the beginning of the second century, a time of great stress as Christians struggled to explain their religious beliefs to their Roman neighbors, to create liturgies that expressed their beliefs and values, and to face persecution and martyrdom cour- ageously. It may seem odd to omit discussion of the life and times of Christianity’s founder, but scholarly exploration of the first century of the common era is itself a field requiring a specific expertise. Rather than focus on Christian beginnings directly, we will refer to them as necessitated by later interpretations of scripture, liturgy, and practice. Second-century Christians were diverse, unorganized, and geographically scattered. Paul’s frequent advocacy of unity among Christian communities gives the impression of a unity that was in fact largely rhetorical. Before we examine Christian movements, however, it is important to remind ourselves that Christians largely shared the world- view and social world of their neighbors. Polarizations of “Christians” and “pagans” obscure the fact that Christians were Romans. They participated fully in Roman culture and economic life; they were susceptible, like their neighbors, to epidemic disease and the anxieties and excitements of city life. As such, they were repeatedly shocked to be singled out by the Roman state for persecution and execution on the basis of their faith. The physical world of late antiquity The Mediterranean world was a single political and cultural unit. -
The Classical Crisis of Iconoclasm
THE CLASSICAL CRISIS OF ICONOCLASM Edward G. Farrugia S.J. History is more interesting than fiction. This holds eminently true of the history of dogma, provided that this itself is not divorced from the human dimension taken as a whole. Ifmodern theology in the West has found the need of creating a political theology then this is due to the loss of the kind of communitarian theology which makes the core ofEastern theology, the theology of vision, which in turn harks back to the iconic consciousness of which we have already spoken. If Western theologians like John Baptist Metz have felt the need to remedy the situation, it is because the individual himself, and individual disciplines in a theology which has become increasingly more specialized and divided into new auxiliary disciplines in the wake of the Enlightenment, were suffocating for lack of vision of the whole. 1 But a good theology need undertake no such desperado measures. The history of dogma can also be presented, with fully critical means, as the history of the Church's discernment of spirits, and thus attain a synthesis between faith and history, without either collapsing the one reality into the other, or pitting the one against the other from the start. Of course, at a more specialized level, theology should attend to all the historical and technical intricacies of disputed issues, while keep living from the kind of simple unitive vision enabling the researcher not to lose track of the one reality.2 But theology as a whole must be aware of the consequences of its ideas. -
The Revival of Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Religious Politics of Emperors in the Ninth Century
90 International Journal of Orthodox Theology 9:2 (2018) urn:nbn:de:0276-2018-2054 Marius Telea The Revival of Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Religious Politics of Emperors in the Ninth Century Abstract There appeared the idea that ninth century iconoclasm constituted a copy of the earlier one, actually a reiteration of the traditional theses of this heresy. More evident than in the eighth century, the second period of the controversy on icons revealed the political background of the iconoclast movement, the efforts of the imperial power to subject the Church to their interests, but also the obstinate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marius resistance of the Church against these, Telea is Assoc. Professor of History and Spirituality especially against its intransigent of Byzantium at the Facul- wing. ty of Orthodox Theology The disastrous defeat on the of “December 1st 1918” Bulgarian front (Versinikia, June 813) University of Alba Iulia, of the Orthodox Emperor Michael I Romania. The Revival of Byzantine Iconoclasm and 91 the Religious Politics of Emperors in the Ninth Century Rhangabe prepared the way for the revival of iconoclasm, established with the reign of Leo V the Armenian. The most representative defenders and theologians of icons were, in this period, Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople and Saint Theodore the Studite. Just like all the defenders of icons, they proved that the icon is the expression of the reality of the Incarnation of Christ, and its veneration is founded on the Christological teachings of the Church. Keywords iconoclasm, defenders, emperors, Church, worship 1 Introduction Once icon veneration was restored, after the Ecumenical Council in Nicea (787), peace did not settle in the Byzantine Church. -
Apostles' Creed - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Apostles' Creed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles%27_Creed Apostles' Creed From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Apostles' Creed (Latin: Symbolum Apostolorum or Symbolum Apostolicum), sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol".[1] It is widely used by a number of Christian denominations for both liturgical and catechetical purposes, most visibly by liturgical Churches of Western tradition, including the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheranism, the Anglican Communion, and Western Orthodoxy. It is also used by Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists. The theological specifics of this creed appear to have been originally formulated as a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. This can be seen in almost every phrase. For example, the creed states that Christ, Jesus, was born, suffered, and died on the cross. This seems to be a statement directly against the heretical teaching that Christ only appeared to become man and that he did not truly suffer and die but only appeared to do so. The Apostles' Creed, as well as other baptismal creeds, is esteemed as an example of the apostles' teachings and a defense of the Gospel of Christ. The name of the Creed comes from the probably fifth-century legend that, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, each of the Twelve Apostles dictated part of it.[2] It is traditionally divided into twelve articles. Because of its early origin, it does not address some Christological issues defined in the later Nicene and other Christian Creeds. It thus says nothing explicitly about the divinity of either Jesus or of the Holy Spirit. -
A Critical Summary of Observations, Data and Hypotheses
TThhee SShhrroouudd ooff TTuurriinn A Critical Summary of Observations, Data and Hypotheses If the truth were a mere mathematical formula, in some sense it would impose itself by its own power. But if Truth is Love, it calls for faith, for the ‘yes’ of our hearts. Pope Benedict XVI Version 4.0 Copyright 2017, Turin Shroud Center of Colorado Preface The purpose of the Critical Summary is to provide a synthesis of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado (TSC) thinking about the Shroud of Turin and to make that synthesis available to the serious inquirer. Our evaluation of scientific, medical forensic and historical hypotheses presented here is based on TSC’s tens of thousands of hours of internal research, the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) data, and other published research. The Critical Summary synthesis is not itself intended to present new research findings. With the exception of our comments all information presented has been published elsewhere, and we have endeavored to provide references for all included data. We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of several persons and organizations. First, we would like to acknowledge Dan Spicer, PhD in Physics, and Dave Fornof for their contributions in the construction of Version 1.0 of the Critical Summary. We are grateful to Mary Ann Siefker and Mary Snapp for proofreading efforts. The efforts of Shroud historian Jack Markwardt in reviewing and providing valuable comments for the Version 4.0 History Section are deeply appreciated. We also are very grateful to Barrie Schwortz (Shroud.com) and the STERA organization for their permission to include photographs from their database of STURP photographs. -
A Textual Commentary on the Greek Received Text of the New Testament, Volume 2 (Matthew 15-20), 2009
i A TEXTUAL COMMENTARY ON THE GREEK RECEIVED TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Being the Greek Text used in the AUTHORIZED VERSION also known as the KING JAMES VERSION also known as the AUTHORIZED (KING JAMES) VERSION also known as the KING JAMES BIBLE also known as the SAINT JAMES VERSION by Gavin Basil McGrath B.A., LL.B. (Sydney University), Dip. Ed. (University of Western Sydney), Dip. Bib. Studies (Moore Theological College). Formerly of St. Paul’s College, Sydney University. Textual Commentary, Volume: 2 St. Matthew’s Gospel Chapters 15-20. Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum “The Word of the Lord Endureth Forever” (I Peter 1:25). ii McGrath, Gavin (Gavin Basil), b. 1960. A Textual Commentary on the Greek Received Text of the New Testament, Volume 2 (Matthew 15-20), 2009. Available on the internet http://www.gavinmcgrathbooks.com . Published & Printed in Sydney, New South Wales. Copyright © 2009 by Gavin Basil McGrath. P.O. Box 834, Nowra, N.S.W., 2541, Australia. Dedication Sermon, preached at Mangrove Mountain Union Church, Mangrove Mountain, N.S.W., 2250, Australia, on Thursday 5 November, 2009. Oral recorded form presently available at http://www.sermonaudio.com/kingjamesbible . This copy of Volume 2 (Matt. 15-20) incorporates corrigenda changes from Appendix 6 of the Revised Volume 1 (Matt. 1-14) © 2010 by Gavin Basil McGrath, Appendix 6 of Volume 3 (Matt. 21-25) © 2011 by Gavin Basil McGrath; Appendix 6 of Volume 4 (Matt. 26-28) © 2012 by Gavin Basil McGrath; Appendix 6 of Volume 5 (Mark 1-3) © 2015 by Gavin Basil McGrath; and Appendix 6 of Volume 6 (Mark 4 & 5) © 2016 by Gavin Basil McGrath. -
The Historical Background of the Ecumenical Creeds by E
The Historical Background of the Ecumenical Creeds by E. Reim [A paper read to the Wisconsin State Teachers’ Conference at Watertown, Wisconsin, November 4, 1948, and at Milwaukee in the following year] Part I. The Origin and Background of the Apostles’ Creed Of the three great Ecumenical Creeds of Christianity the simplest, and at least in the Western Church, also the most widely accepted one is the Apostles’ Creed. Lutherans have particular reason to hold this confession in highest esteem, since Luther in his Small Catechism has given us an explanation of the Three Articles that is matchless both in form and content. This gives Lutheran teachers and pastors an aid in the instruction of children and adults, which is not equaled elsewhere in the entire field of Christian catechetics. With this you are, of course, thoroughly familiar. Our present purpose is to discuss the origin and historical background of this ancient creed. If this paper will serve to heighten your interest and deepen your appreciation, even if only in moderate degree, it will have been well worth the effort. We may as well begin our discussion by considering the name of this confession of faith, the “Apostles” Creed. If this were to mean no more than that the doctrinal substance of these articles is the same as that taught and confessed by the Apostles of our Lord, that it is therefore Apostolic in content, then there would be no cause to disagree. But other views have been given wide currency. It has been held that our Lord taught His disciples this summary of Christian doctrine word by word during the forty days after His resurrection, just as He had previously taught them the Lord’s Prayer.