SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF THE ORTHODOX ICON (Duchovnite aspekti na pravoslavnata ikona)

• Authors: Virbakov Blagovest
• Languages of publication: BG

Abstracts

EN

The aim of the present article is to examine the spiritual aspects of the orthodox icon, i. e. of Byzantine figurative art. Based on the dogmatic formulation (Seventh Ecumenical Council, AD 787, Nicaea) of the nature and significance of the holy images, we will first turn our attention to their aesthetic influence, not from an artistic standpoint, since numerous works have already been written on the subject, but in regards to the category of beauty in terms of the theological thought. Second, we will examine the spiritual aspects of the icon, viz. historical, liturgical and dogmatic-canonical and morally edifying. One of the concerns of the discussion will be also the issue of the rightful understanding of the concept of Byzantine art, since Byzantine is oftentimes erroneously perceived as Greek, and not as east orthodox, especially by connoisseurs of classic orthodox icons. This misconception will be refuted in what follows below. With this conclusive view, and in order to make things fully clear, we will carry out a retrospective examination of the development of Christian art during the ages since the founding of the church in the first century AD, until the beginning of the Neo-Byzantine period in ecclesiastical art in the 15th century.

Keywords

EN

ARTS; BULGARIA; BYZANTINE FIGURATIVE ART; CHURCH; EARLY CHRISTIAN ART; ORTHODOX ICON

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Jan Stanislav Slavonic Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Matica Slovenska
• Journal: Slavica Slovaca
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 20-32
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Virbakov Blagovest

• Blagovest Virbakov, Bogoslovski fakultet pri Sofijski universitet 'Sv. Kliment Ochridski', Sofija, Bulgaria

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

11SKAAAA094818