Cover Story--April 2005

Cover Story

by Tessa Forsythe

"Icons are theology in color, not art, per se,"

--the Rev. Jerry Markopoulos

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Iconography and Art in Church Invites Introspection

[Cover Photo]

Christ Pantocrator is an icon used at Imago Dei. -- Tessa Forsythe, photo

A young woman walked up to the communion table at Imago Dei, an evangelical church in Portland, Ore. She took a bit of bread from the basket, dipped it into a cup of wine, and knelt in front of the table, staring intently upon one of the four Eastern Orthodox icons on the table.

The icon was small, no bigger than a 5 inch by 8 inch photo. The flat image on the wood, called Christ Pantocrater, depicted Christ as the ruler of all. After a few moments, she bowed her head, ate the bread and then returned to her seat.

After church, a man walked up to Rick McKinley, the head pastor at Imago Dei. The man told Pastor McKinley that he loved the church's music and enjoyed the sermon, but he couldn't go to the church.

"You have to get rid of your icons and incense because they are blasphemy," the man said. Pastor McKinley politely told the man he might want to attend another church.

Raeben Nolan, a Multnomah Bible College graduate, who studied icons and religious art as her focus in MBC's history program, first introduced Imago Dei to icons.

Although most feedback about the icons has been positive, Nolan said she stills feels the tension of incorporating the Eastern Orthodox tradition into an evangelical Protestant church.

Nolan said that part of her isn't sure non-Orthodox Christians should use icons. "Sometimes I wonder how an Orthodox priest would feel if he came in and viewed one of our services with icons. I don't want our use of them to disrespect their tradition," she said.

Nolan also faces the challenge of explaining icons to her church. She said that most evangelical Christians misunderstand what an Eastern Orthodox icon is and its purpose.

What is an Icon?

Icon is the Greek word for image. Daniel Scalberg, a history professor at MBC, said that any Christian religious art is an icon because all Christian art is symbolic.

He said that long before the church split between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, the church used icons. Dr. Scalberg said that even in the first century Christians made fish mosaics and frescoes, or paintings on plaster, of Christ as the bread of life.

The church Dr. Scalberg attends, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, has had an icon of St. Matthew for years. The rector of St. Matthew's, the Rev. David Humphrey, said he wasn't sure why the icon was in the church but knows that back in the 1950s the church took a collection at its consecration service and used the money to purchase the icon.

Although the Rev. Humphrey never has mentioned the icon in a service, many of the members regard it with a high level of respect.

"Most members genuflect when passing it, so they must see it as something sacred or something to be venerated," he said.

The Rev. Jerry Markopoulos, a priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Portland, Ore., said that although icons are beautiful, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not consider them to be art. "Icons are theology in color, not art, per se," the Rev. Jerry Markopoulos said.

An icon is a one-dimensional painting on wood, sometimes covered in gold. The images are of Christ, Mary, the saints and symbolic representations of events in the Bible.

Nolan said that unlike Western religious art, icons are unrealistically painted but convey specific theological messages through symbolism.

For example, icons of the Nativity at Imago Dei and Holy Trinity picture baby Jesus wrapped in burial clothes and lying in a coffin.

The Rev. Markopoulos said that this represents the fact that even in his birth, Jesus came to die for the sins of the world.

The Rev. Markopoulos said that in an icon you can always tell who Christ is by the cross in his halo with three Greek letters. The letters mean "The One Who Is," reminding us that Christ is the Son of God, the great "I am." The Rev. Markopoulos said the cross in the halo behind Christ's head conveys that the work Christ did on the cross is an essential part of who he is as savior.

In Holy Trinity, huge wall-length icons hang on both sides of the nave, which is Latin for ship. The nave is where the Orthodox gather for worship. Pews sit facing the icon screen. Icons cover the icon screen, which separates the nave from the sanctuary.

The Rev. Markopoulos said that the nave represents the community of believers heading toward Christ and eternal life.

In the ship, the believers are protected and experience God through worship, icons, candles, and incense -- all of which are there "because we are weak and cannot focus well," the Rev. Markopoulos said.

Protestant Fear of Idol Worship

Dr. Scalberg said that art has always been in the church. "The danger is not in the art but in how the art is used," he said.

Many Protestants find these images of Christ, Mary and the saints either fascinating or frightening. Many view icons as idols and believe that the Eastern Orthodox worship them.

The Rev. Markopoulos was quick to explain icons are not idols. "The icons are not to be worshipped but held with reverence," he said.

In her book, "Windows to Heaven: Introducing Icons to Protestants and Catholics," Elizabeth Zelensky said that Western Christians often misunderstand Orthodox icons because Orthodox Christians kiss them, bow in front of them and light candles around them. "It is essential to stress that, despite first impressions, the Orthodox Christian does not worship icons; she venerates them," she said.

However, veneration is exactly where Dr. Scalberg begins to see dangers. He said that the Protestant Church, with its roots in Roman Catholicism, has always regarded art primarily as a source of teaching and secondarily for aesthetic beauty. But he said that the Protestant church does not use art for veneration, nor is there a theology that allows for prayer to the saints, prayers for the dead and so on.

Should the Evangelical Church Use Icons?

Dr. Scalberg said that the evangelical tradition, where Multnomah finds its constituents, has been so anti-Catholic that it has shied away from religious art because of the Roman Catholic connotations.

However, Dr. Scalberg said that those in the Protestant and evangelical traditions should be free to use Christian art for history, education and aesthetic purposes. "God could have created a black and white earth; why didn't he?" he said.

"I think there will be a lot of freedom in the evangelical church in the 21st century to incorporate great works of art without all the inappropriate veneration to the saints, prayers for the dead, and immaculate Mary," Dr. Scalberg said.

"You can enjoy Christian art for what it is worth without all the baggage," he said.

The Rev. Markopoulos said he would prefer that if non-Orthodox Christians use icons, they approach them with reverence. "Don't come with pre-conceived notions, but let God use them to teach you," he said.

"Icons are meant to refresh and enhance your faith, not degrade it," Nolan said. "They serve as an environmental reminder and draw you into communion, which is good."

However, Nolan isn't sure if evangelicals should be allowed to use icons. "Protestants don't really have any ancestry or tradition. It is kind of like a bastard who sticks a picture of someone else's parents on the wall and says, 'See, look at my parents,'" she said.

She said that one side of her feels as if she has freedom in Christ to be able to use icons. Nolan said that she felt Imago Dei's use of icons was OK because she bought most of her icons at Holy Trinity's Ethos Bookstore, which sells icons to Orthodox and non-Orthodox. The Rev. Markopoulos said, "I don't begrudge others for using icons. Who am I to deny others the grace of God they can experience through an icon?"

He is afraid, however, that non-Orthodox Christians will simply use icons for the color piece and not the theology. "I am a little concerned because Orthodoxy is not cafeteria style; you can't just pick and choose what you want," he said.

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