Holy Icons and “Anti-Icons”
I feel the need to address Icons, since so many people are harsh in their criticisms towards icons and they are so radically opposed to icons. Many of these ideas and thoughts are rooted in misunderstandings of what icons actually are and what purpose they serve in our daily lives.
People may criticize or mock icons for being strange or pagan. There are plenty of Protestant Christians suggesting icons are idols. They may even point to parts of the bible about “images” and “idols” in the Bible, typically with Exodus 20 in their defense (will explain below). Meanwhile, people (as a whole, not just Protestants) themselves stare at empty screens and images all day, in the obvious cases: television, smartphones, social media, etc.
But before we get into all this, let’s first clarify what an “icon” is…
What is an Icon?
In the Orthodox Church an icon is described as “a sacred image, a window into heaven” and as an “image of another reality, of a person, time and place that is more real than here and now.”
Icons are not just beautiful works of art, but play a crucial part into our spiritual lives. Author of The Icon: Window on the Kingdom, Michel Quenot, said an icon is “theology in imagery, the icon expresses through color what the Gospel proclaims in words.” In fact, to add this reality of the Gospel, the main purpose of icons is to aid in worship. The icon conveys the wonderful and majestic “awe” of the “invisible, divine reality” (as summarized by Evdokimov, author of The Art of the Icon: a Theology of Beauty).
If these images of theology are icons, it is safe to probably say that anything that lacks (or “misses the mark”) or opposes the Gospel is indeed an anti-icon (a word I obviously made up for the intent of this blog post). Just as our lives “miss the mark” by not living out the Gospel, and therefore results in sin, so too images can bear the same downfall, in not conveying that which is truthful and holy.
So what is the big deal?
As I said before, there are people who will mock and criticize the icons of the Church, but they themselves (like many of us — I am not here to point fingers) watch television and scroll on social media. Are these devices not windows themselves? But what windows do these things lead us to? It all seems so innocent, right? Entertainment, distraction, perhaps an opioid to the daily struggles of life. We have all been there…
And to discern… The senses are like windows of a castle, anything we see or hear enters in and influences our nous and our heart, which we must guard at all times.
Icons of the Church — and the church again is the Body of Christ — could be described as the icons of Christ, for the whole message of the Gospel points towards Christ. If our senses are like a window into our soul and icons are a window into Heaven, what does that say about the role of icons in our lives? In the participation of worship, coming up to kiss an icon is no different than kissing a photograph of a fellow family member.
If Saints are truly the examples of sanctification, if they are truly the heroes of our faith, who probably tirelessly today pray and intercede for our lives (much like our Guardian Angel), why would we not kiss their photograph? But to understand… In the West, kissing other people is not a usual practice. In Europe, and places like Italy and Greece, people greet each other with a kiss. Americans really do no such thing. The most we do is a hug with affection for our fellow family members and loved ones. This is perhaps why kissing an icon seems so strange and foreign to us.
In Eastern Orthodox Churches, this practice of kissing icons is a part of participation in the Church. It may be expected, but it is certainly not forced. You should want to kiss an icon of our Lord. You should want to kiss an icon of Saint Peter and other martyrs. This is our future (and present) family. They lead us all on the path to holiness and sanctification. Everything we do from crossing ourselves, kissing icons, and revering the Saints all points to God — it is an act of worship, for God and God alone.
That is part of the largest misunderstanding about icons. Many Protestants assume icons are idols, either of our God or of other saints. Non-Orthodox Christians defend their stance by quoting Exodus 20:5–6 from the Ten Commandments:
“You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
For those who do not know, the debate over Icons is not new. There was a great debate over the use of icons in the Church. (For more information on icons and the great debate over icons, you may watch Theoria’s video, “Are Icons Idols?”). If we think about this passage in context and look closely, it becomes quite obvious that this commandment on “graven images” is referencing to idols, for mankind had struggled with idols. These images portray an idea, or false image, of what is God or heaven. Indeed, these idols are the “anti-icons” for they portray the false sense of what God is and oppose him. As we know, anything that opposes God is anti-Christian. (If anyone would like to learn more about clarification of this Exodus 20th verse, they can read Fr. Jack N. Sparks’ article, “No Graven Image: Icons and Their Proper Use”).
If people want to criticize icons from a modern perspective, then we must also measure ourselves into that criticism, for we have made our own false icons (and anti-icons) in every day lives. Our televisions and phones are mere windows into a world of unreality, making idols that come before Christ. Not to mention, people idolize celebrities, politicians, cultural and religious figures, and others. Even if people do not idolize these things, the mass of the world is bent on idolizing money, and on much of the money is engraved an image of another man. Christ made it apparent for where people must choose with their hearts; they can only have one master: God or money.
In the midst of our criticisms, we forget how beautiful and how important icons serve us. Historically, icons were used to teach theology, since people were indicated to be illiterate in some of these ancient times. If one notices, icons depict a reality of theology, not a reality of imagery. Although imagery helps depict the theology, it is not the image itself we reverence, but rather the reality that transcends the image itself. If one notices, icons have very little expression of human emotion, creativity, or opinions — in other words, they do not stand as abstract works of art open to interpretation or biased thoughts of man, but icons serve to depict theology. When you look at the Resurrection of Christ icon, you do not think how artistic it is or feel moved by the human expression, but rather this window into what this icon represents, the “victorious” and “glorious” resurrection of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. In this sense, an icon is no different than a homily (or even “sermons”) in some ways, for a truth is being communicated to us.
We use these icons in the church as a part of participation in worship. They are an aspect of the church, not an end goal, and in no way is an idol, but conveyer of truth. Icons are holy, just as the message Gospel is holy, and just as we see the Bible as holy, for all these things point towards Christ. Saints themselves, in their of sanctification, point towards Christ. They are the heroes, whose lives inspire us and lead, by example, to Christ. They are laborers for Christ, strugglers for Christ, and martyrs for Christ. In the large picture, all these aspects in the Church work together in participation.
If we look closer into this meaning of icon, we begin to ponder and see ourselves as we truly are, we will understand that man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 15:48–19). As the last Adam, Christ has restored the image of man with his life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5: Colossians 3:10). So what do we see when see Christ? Christ “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). Christ is “exact imprint of God’s very being” (Hebrews 1:3) for Christ said himself, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Book of Hebrews 1:1–4
