7
votes
Identifying a Saint on a Greek Orthodox icon?
The Greek lettering is (in modern script) Ό Άγιος Παΐσιος ὁ Ἁγιορείτης — Saint Paisios of Mount Athos.
Wikipedia has an article on him.
He was born Arsenios Eznepidis (1924–1994), was a well-known ...
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7
votes
Accepted
Why is the Ichthys symbol almost always facing left?
Why is the Ichthys symbol almost always facing left?
No theological or symbolic reason seems to available as an answer. But I suspect that it may have to do something with the simple direction of ...
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7
votes
On Images of God the Father According to Catholicism?
On images of God the Father according to Catholicism?
Is there anything in Catholic doctrine which prohibits or restricts displaying an image in the "likeness" of God the Father?
The short ...
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6
votes
What is the earliest record of using icons to worship God in the Catholic or Orthodox traditions?
As long as we're talking about using icons in worship and not worshiping icons: The very earliest written account of icons in general that I'm aware of comes in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History ...
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6
votes
Accepted
According to the Eastern Orthodox, what are the rules for acquiring / owning icons?
I have never heard either of any rule about not buying icons. If we all waited until we received them as gifts, we’d probably have very few, and we might wait our whole lives and never get any. And ...
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5
votes
According to the Eastern Orthodox, what are the rules for acquiring / owning icons?
As a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, I'm not aware of any such rules. It is recommended to buy icons in churches or church stores rather than secular ones, though.
- 440
5
votes
Accepted
Christ and the Believer Icon (Companion Icon) origin?
Christ and the Believer Icon (Companion Icon) origin?
Icon of Friendship as it is commonly called goes by a few similar titles.
This is a 6 century Coptic icon from Bawit, Egypt of Christ and Saint ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Violence and Iconography
There are no such problem to show the violence in icons in orthodoxy. There are many icons of martyrs, which shows their suffers on. Like behading or quartering. The sample the that kind of icons are: ...
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4
votes
What is the Biblical support for a distinction between veneration and worship?
To approach this question we must first cut through terminology.
The Catholic Dictionary defines worship as
Acknowledgment of another's worth, dignity, or superior position.
So worship is not, ...
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4
votes
How does the "church" reconcile breaking the 2nd commandments religiously?
For that vast majority of Christians that do not prohibit images, this is an easy question to answer. The original wording of the 10 commandments did not prohibit all images - it was intended to ...
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4
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Questions about this icon of Saint Sophia
Here is another icon of St. Sophia and her three daughters St. Faith, St. Hope and St. Charity:
Martyr Sophia and her three daughters at Rome
The Holy Martyrs Saint Sophia and her Daughters Faith, ...
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4
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of the three letters in the halo of the Acheiropoieta?
What is the meaning of the three letters in the halo of the Acheiropoieta?
Image of the Savior Nerukotvorniy (Made Without Hands): a traditional Orthodox iconography in the interpretation of Simon ...
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4
votes
Do Roman Catholics really venerate Icons and Holy Scripture equally?
From the tone of your question, I'm guessing you're thinking Catholics ought to find as much divine truth in paintings as they do in the written gospels. That's not the case. Venerating the book of ...
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3
votes
Explanation of Russian assorted saints and festivities icon "Plenka"
"Plenka" means "skin" or "membrane" in this context and refer to material covering the icon.
The icon itself called "all saints" and depicts major saints in order of their festive days during year. ...
- 440
3
votes
Why is the interlocking-squares (gammadia) a symbol of the Melchizedek Priesthood?
Why is the square a symbol of the Melchizedek Priesthood?
Short answer is because it's on the altar cloth with Melchizedek on the mosaic. I've been unable to find any ancient reference to the eight ...
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3
votes
Why do images of saints often depict them with unusual hand gestures?
The answer is partially in your question. The life of a Christian is very unusual, at least it is supposed to be. Our lives have to be oriented toward the ultimate truth who is God. So, for a Saint, ...
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3
votes
Why do images of saints often depict them with unusual hand gestures?
Wordpress:
Ancient Greek and Roman orators used an established series of hand gestures when speaking. Since some of the oldest Orthodox statuary originated in Rome, it is likely their hand gestures ...
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3
votes
Are Roman Catholics required at any time to bow down to statues or images?
Are Roman Catholics required at any time to bow down or make obeisance to or kiss statues, images, icons, etc. (i.e., inanimate objects)?
The short answer is no.
Basically, it is an act of personal ...
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3
votes
Did the Jews use icons and images to help them worship as Catholics or Orthodox worshippers do?
In the Biblical sense, "icon" and "image" are synonymous. The word icon comes directly from the Greek εἰκών (eikōn). In the Septuagint, it represents the Hebrew word צלמ (...
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3
votes
What is the meaning of the three letters in the halo of the Acheiropoieta?
You are right that the letters are ώ Ό Ν (lowercase omega, uppercase omicron, uppercase nu) and it means "He who is", in reference to Rev 4:8b:
ESV: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God ...
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3
votes
Arguments for and against images of God
I couldn't find in the Bible the words of Elijah that were paraphrased in that book about him. Someone else may find them and quote them from the Bible. However, the prophet Isaiah wrote many ...
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2
votes
Accepted
Why do Syrian Orthodox churches use only paintings and not sculptures, unlike Catholic churches?
I am, in fact a Catholic. I was intrigued by your question and so I decided to do some religious research with my Catechism books. So according to the books: The first commandment forbids the making ...
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2
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Are Roman Catholics required at any time to bow down to statues or images?
Unless one is familiar with the Catholic religion, one will find it odd, if not downright sacriligious, to bow down to bread and wine (inanimate objects per the OP).
From the Catechism of the ...
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votes
Besides St. Casimir, are any other saints portrayed with three hands in iconography?
There is some iconography (religious art) with three hands or an extra hand in them. There is one that concerns St. John of Damascus, but not St. John the Evangelist.
Icon of the Mother of God of “...
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2
votes
Why do images of saints often depict them with unusual hand gestures?
Of the images depicted, three (Justin Martyr, Cyril, and John Chrysostom) are icons (or possibly frescoes) and the other two are free-form art works.
I can't speak to the art works, but in the icons ...
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2
votes
Explanation of Russian assorted saints and festivities icon "Plenka"
This is great. As a rule of thumb, always buy icons larger than you think you'll need them.
So, this is a yearly Menaion icon. The Menaion is basically a book that tells you, for each month, what ...
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Is there a dogmatic or theological (yet not dogmatic) justification for kneeling before a statue/icon of the Virgin Mary?
In one passage, we have the answer to the whole thing:
1 Chronicles 29:20 (DRB)
And David commanded all the assembly: Bless ye the Lord our God. And all the assembly blessed the Lord the God of their ...
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