Images of the Divine. The Theology of Icons at the Seventh Ecoumenical Council

Foreword / Henry Chadwick -- I. Introduction -- The Origins Of The Iconoclast Controversy -- The Outbreak And Intensification Of The Controversy -- The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) -- The Western Reaction -- Ii. Icon And Tradition -- The Meaning Of Tradition -- The Evidence Of The Bible And The Fathers -- The Chief Patristic Witnesses -- The Evidence Of The Councils -- The Evidence Of Historical Antiquity -- The Evidence Of Miracles -- Accusations Of Heresy -- Iii. Icon As An Agent Of Truth -- Education As A Cultural Ideal -- The Teaching Role Of The Icon -- The Limitations Of The Icon -- Iconoclast Reservations -- The Emotional Response To The Icon -- The Value Of Matter -- Iv. Icon And Reality -- The Deification Of Matter -- A Hidden Origenism? -- Matter And Evil -- Iconophile Realism -- The Sanctifying Vision Of The Real -- Two Contrasting Ontologies -- V. Icon And Christology -- Iconoclast Objections -- The Iconophile Case -- Prototype And Imitative Icon -- The Visibility Of The Divine -- Vi. Icon And Worship -- Imageless Prayer -- The Veneration Of Images -- Man As The Priest Of Creation -- Participation In The Uncreated Energies Of God -- Vii. The Significance Of The Council -- A Christological Council -- The Iconoclast Position -- The Iconophile Response -- Two Different Christologies -- The Soteriological Aspect. By Ambrosios Giakalis ; With A Foreword By Henry Chadwick. Revision Of Author's Thesis (ph. D.)--university Of Cambridge, 1988. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [139]-146) And Indexes. Title Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Table of Contents 7 Foreword 9 Preface 13 Chapter 1: Introduction 17 The Origins of the Iconoclast Controversy 17 The Outbreak and Intensification of the Controversy 21 The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) 28 The Western Reaction 37 Chapter 2: Icon and Tradition 38 The Meaning of Tradition 38 The Evidence of the Bible and the Fathers 40 The Chief Patristic Witnesses 50 The Evidence of the Councils 58 The Evidence of Historical Antiquity 58 The Evidence of Miracles 62 Accusations of Heresy 65 Chapter 3: Icon as an Agent of Truth 67 Education as a Cultural Ideal 67 The Teaching Role of the Icon 70 The Limitations of the Icon 75 Iconoclast Reservations 77 The Emotional Response to the Icon 78 The Value of Matter 81 Chapter 4: Icon and Reality 84 The Deification of Matter 84 A Hidden Origenism? 86 Matter and Evil 90 Iconophile Realism 92 The Sanctifying Vision of the Real 94 Two Contrasting Ontologies 99 Chapter 5: Icon and Christology 109 Iconoclast Objections 109 The Iconophile Case 117 Prototype and Imitative Icon 122 The Visibility of the Divine 127 Chapter 6: Icon and Worship 130 Imageless Prayer 130 The Veneration of Images 133 Man as the Priest of Creation 138 Participation in the Uncreated Energies of God 140 Chapter 7: The Significance of the Council 146 A Christological Council 146 The Iconoclast Position 147 The lconophile Response 149 Two Different Christologies 152 The Soteriological Aspect 153 Abbreviations 154 Bibliography 155 I. Sources 155 II. Modern Works 155 Index of Names and Places 163 Index of Subjects 166 Studies in the History of Christian thought 169 "This book examines the theology of icons in the eighth century, the most critical period in the evolution of the Eastern Church's teaching on images. The principal source is provided by the acta of the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787." "The political circumstances which led to the outbreak of the controversy over icons are discussed in detail but the main emphasis is on the theological arguments and presuppositions of the participants in the council. Major themes include the nature of tradition, the relationship between image and reality and the place of christology." "Ultimately the argument over icons was about the accessibility of the divine. Icons were held by the iconophiles to communicate a deifying grace which raised the believer to participation in the life of God."--BOOK JACKET