Christian Art And Its Importance

Christian art has had a profound impact on us the Church. Many people think that Scripture Alone (Solae Scriptura) is what only counts, and indeed it should be our measure and means to test every experience in the Lord, but art has always had an effect on people. Christian art generally was allegoristic in the Early Church, with the Icythus (fish) representing that Jesus said "You will be fishers of men," (Matthew 4:19), that the first disciples were Galileans and fishermen, and that it is during fishing on the Sea of Galilee that Jesus calls the Disciples for first time to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22) and is where He shows himself Risen for first time to same disciples (John 21:1-14). The Lamb which would have been acceptable to Jews who had a sacrificial lamb at Passover and meant nothing to Romans at the time represented Jesus who is the "Lamb of God," (John 1:29, Revelation 12:11, Revelation 17:14). Often a singular bird represented the Holy Spirit that appeared as a dove (Luke 3:22). In Early Church it was mostly symbols that were common, that could be just considered ordinary but to Christians told the Gospel. Pictorial Gospel, as Medieval Churches would call iconography and art telling the Gospel with symbols and images like the Crucifixion would come into play in 4th Century.

According to Tradition, The Apostle Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke, was a painter and artist and is believed to have painted the Apostles, and even Christ Himself. The evidence that Luke knew the Lord in 30-33 A.D. is unlikely, however we know the Apostle Luke interviewed all the Disciples, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (Madonna), Joanna, Phobia, Julia, and rest of the women apostles, disciples, deaconesses, and more (Dear and Glorious Physician, Taylor Cladwell). If Luke did this to compile His Gospel Account which really is the Gospel of the Women Disciples (Luke, a Greek valued Women's opinion and point of view, in Jewish culture women were not honored or valued in this way). It is conceivable that Luke meeting the Disciples both men and women, and following Paul (Colossians 4:14), asked what Jesus looked like and painted Him. And one must ask, since Luke talked to Mary, Jesus' Mother, who better than mother knows what a son's face looked like; including fact she saw it at Crucifixion and Resurrection. There are legends about Shroud of Turin, which is reportedly the scarf or headdress of Veronica, who whipping the blood stained face of Christ during crucifixion preserved an imprint of Jesus' face in blood, and the Shroud of Edessa, a piece of cloth that Jesus sent with His disciple to the King of Edessa who requested Jesus visit and heal his servant (Eusebius, The History of the Church).

Christ Pantocrator

Pictures of Jesus did not surface en masse until 4th century, but there were carving and depcitions of His face in Catacombs and tombs in Rome where persecuted Christians lived and worshipped. The most famous depiction of Christ is the Christ Pantocrator (Pantakrator) which is close up of Christ with darkened skin, a Mongolian mustache and long hair in halo shape with a halo, and brown eyes. Most Orthodox Christians are familiar with this image of Christ Pantocrator, which is believed to be based on the Shroud of Turin or Shroud of Edessa. The Icons that feature this image of Jesus often baffle most historians who reading the accouints of Pontius Pilate's letter to Cesar, Tychicus, and even Gamaliel who mentored the apostle Paul all describe Jesus as blond and blue eyed, and that this made Him look different from His disciples. Why do these portraits of Jesus mean so much to early Christians? Because it was a chance to the see the Divine, to see God who became a Man; to see the Lord Himself. Orthodox Christian clergy make the point that prior to Christ coming, God could not be depicted in Art. Until Jesus we are told that "God is spirit," (Genesis 1:2) but It is worth mention that the prophet Ezekiel in Old Testament saw God (Jesus) and said, "Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man." (Ezekiel 1:26). Jesus Christ who is God (Colossians 2:9) came as man (John 1:1-5) and so now "we can depict him, we can paint the image of God because He has flesh and looks like a man." (Orthodox Priest, on Icons).

Crucifix in Catholic Church

The Crucifix or Christ fixed to the cross is much younger in tradition. We know the Crucifix was found in the 12th Century, one particular crucifix that St. Francis of Assisi looked at when he heard "Repair my Church." But how earlier tell Crucifixes were popular? Well they always were featured as Rood (giant crucifix) in most sanctuaries of Churches since as far back 5th and 6th Centuries, but the Crucifix's popularity really began when St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the pundit and promoter of Second Crusade, shifted the focus from Christ Enthroned and the Imperial Alpha and Omega image of Christ to Christ Suffering and The Lamb That is Slain (Ecco Homo, and Agnus Dei). Crucifixes became featured in every home during 16th and 17th Centuries, particularly in Venice.

Plain Cross and Candelight

The Cross became most popular symbol of the faith due to Christ Jesus, The Apostle Paul, and Constantine The Great. It is important to understand the Apostles did not widely use the symbol of the cross though they did emphasized its importance in Christ's Passion, but in Jewish Culture it was akin to wearing a Nuclear Bomb around your neck, a sign of genocide if you will, because Romans crucified non-Romans citizens on crosses which was a long suffocating and excruciating death. Even Romans like Cicero hated the cross, saying, "Let not the horror even be on a Roman's lips, may no Roman utter or mention the cross." Constantine as most of us know saw the sign of cross in a dream or the sky (depending on tradition) "In Hoc Sig natius: In this sign you shall conquer," and as History reveals Constantine conquered his enemy emperors at the Battle of Milvan Bridge just as the Voice whom Constantine believed was Christ and told him to use sign of cross in battle. The cross, plain, and gold became the popular symbol of Constantine's Empire, called the Byzantine Empire that later became the most brilliant, beautiful, and bold Christian Empire in History. However, one must not ignore that the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ our God and Savior made the cross a major focus, "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died," (Galatians 6:14), "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me," (Galatians 2:20), "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God," (1 Corinthians 1:18), "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross," (Phillippians 2:8), "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me," (Matthew 16:24), "and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me," (Matthew 10:38), "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," (Luke 8:23), and, "And that is why Jesus suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore." (Hebrews 13:12-13). So don't make a mistake in thinking the cross is a Constantine invention or focal point, Jesus Christ who died on cross and made it famous emphasizes it, as well as His Apostle Paul.

Christian art is used for devotional purposes. For Orthodox Christians, icons which are painted images in two dimensions of Jesus Christ and the Saints are used in worship, prayer, and beyond. For Catholics the Crucifix, Madonna, and saints are used in chapels and churches for dovotio, prayer, liturgy, processions, and more. Art is important, even the absence thereof. For the Iconoclasts (image breakers) and Puritans who believe images are sinful and take Exodus 20:4 out of context: "Puritans and Iconoclasts use this version: "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below/ while Orthodox, Catholics, and other Protestants use the more accurate translations: You shall not make for yourself an idol (object of worship, god), or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." Iconoclasts and Puritans forget to notice God says build an Ark with Cherubim Angels in gold on it (see Exodus 25:22, proof Cherubim are angelic beings see Ezekiel 10:14, Revelation  15:7). Iconoclasts lived in Byzantium and began destroying any images, but art has always been used to worship the Lord, and so it is bizarre that people forbid it, fearing idol worship. Protestants tend to lean between copying the Roman Catholic pageantry and imagery as in case of Lutherans and Angelicans, but in other cases there is a strong minmaliism in Methodist, Pentacostal, Evangelical, and other kinds of churches.The use of art in the Church is important. For those one Puritanical, Quaker, or even more conservative Methodist churches we see art in form of architecture, mathematical designs like circles and columns and plain altars with a cross or none at all. For other churches the iconography is dense with symbolism: the crown of thrones, crosses, lambs, lions, and more. So often the cerebral and intellectual Christian brothers and sisters focus on the written, on the Scriptures, but in truth many artsy and heart Christian brothers and sisters focus on the seen, on images that convey what is in Scriptures. I am a Solae Scriptura person, but I also love images too, how they convey Christ and the Written word of God in symbols and iconography. I once wrote about using images again to teach the Faith, and it is my opinion that there is great gains in being able to show people and share the Scriptures in visuals.

Christian art helped bolster the faith of Christians being persecuted in the early centuries of the Church, and the same artwork continues to remind us of the awe, adoration, amazing grace, amore, and almightiness of the Alpha and Omega Jesus Christ. We worship the One True God and Christianity is the true religion and faith. May we appreciate art that glorifies our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.