Category: New Icons

Discover the Spiritual Depth of Icons and Saints

Two Books That Open the Heart Through Icons and the Saints

John the Baptist Icon. written by Christine Hales

In the world of Christian spirituality, a beautiful mystery unfolds whenever art and prayer meet. Two icon related books—The Dwelling of the Light: Praying With Icons of Christ by Dr. Rowan Williams, and The Song of Saints: Celebrating the Saints with Anglican Prayer Beads by Catherine Gotschall—offer readers rich opportunities to encounter that mystery with depth and devotion. Though very different in scope, each invites us to slow down, to look more deeply, and to let the Holy Spirit reshape how we see God, the world, and ourselves.

Seeing Christ Anew: Rowan Williams on Praying With Icons

When The Dwelling of the Light was first published in 2003, Dr. Rowan Williams had just begun his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury. Already a respected theologian and scholar, Williams offered the world a slim but luminous volume on praying with icons of Christ. It remains one of his most beloved spiritual works.

Madonna and Child. Written by Christine Hales

At the heart of the book lies a profound reverence for icons—not as decorative artifacts, but as encounters with divine presence. Williams writes:

“In their presence you become aware that you are present to God and that God is working on you by his grace, as he does in the lives and words of holy people.”

Using four deeply significant icons—The Transfiguration, The Resurrection, The Hospitality of Abraham, and Christ Pantocrator—he guides the reader into a prayerful way of seeing. Icons, he suggests, are not depictions of a moment frozen in history; they reveal a life “radiating the light and force of God.”

Resurrection Icon. written by Christine Hales

In Williams’ hands, each icon becomes not only an image but a doorway: a way for Christ’s transfiguring presence to shape our own vision of the world. The book is small enough to read in an afternoon but expansive enough to ponder for years.

I have always appreciated Dr. Williams’ viewpoint on icons and sacramentals in the Anglican Church. Sometimes on my lunch break I like to pick up one of his books for some quick inspiration!

Williams wrote a companion volume a year earlier—Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin (Canterbury Press, 2002)—which offers a similar depth of prayer through icons of Mary.

Related Links
• Image Journal: Conversation with Rowan William
• Author Page with additional works by Dr. Williams

Praying With the Cloud of Witnesses: Catherine Gotschall’s The Song of Saints

While Williams leads us to contemplate the face of Christ, Catherine Gotschall invites us to pray with the saints themselves. A lifelong Episcopalian, Gotschall has created an extraordinary resource in The Song of Saints: Celebrating the Saints with Anglican Prayer Beads.

I met Catherine at the Episcopal Convention of South West Florida several weeks ago and want to share this interesting book with you all since first class books on the lives of the saints are hard to come by!

Her book presents the lives of more than fifty saints from across the centuries—men and women whose faithful witness continues to echo through Christian history. Arranged within the six cycles of the liturgical year, the saints span the 1st to the 20th century and represent Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.

Mary of Egypt Icon by Christine Hales

But what makes the book truly distinctive is its prayer practice. For each saint, Gotschall offers:

  • A brief biography
  • Prayers drawn from the saint’s own writings—letters, sermons, and vitae
  • A way of praying these words with Anglican prayer beads

She describes a saint as:

“someone who has led a sacramental life… an outward and visible sign of deep and abiding inner spiritual grace.”

St, Francis and the Wolf of Lubbio written by Christine Hales

This is more than a book of history or devotional snippets—it is a tool for moving devotion “from head to heart.” Through the rhythm of the beads and the wisdom of the saints, readers are invited into a lived experience of prayer that feels both ancient and deeply personal.

Link to Purchase Book on Amazon

St. John Theologian Icon by Christine Hales

Art, Prayer, and the Ever-Living Presence of God

Together, these two books remind us of something essential: authentic Christian prayer is not an escape from the world but a way of seeing it more truthfully. Icons illuminate the radiant presence of Christ at the center of all things. The saints show us what life looks like when that presence is welcomed, trusted, and lived boldly across centuries and cultures.

Whether you are drawn to the serene gaze of Christ Pantocrator or to the stirring witness of those who followed him, these works offer gentle, profound companions for the spiritual journey.

They invite us—quietly but insistently—to ponder, to pray, and to be transformed.

Until next month, be blessed and be a blessing! And don’t forget, if you write an informative article about your icons or icon related information, please email me with your ideas and proposals. It would be wonderful to have articles written by more of you!

Love and prayers,

Christine Hales

Recent Posts on Saints; Stories of Saints and Icons and

All Saints Day.

My Next in- Person Icon Writing Retreats for 2026

LINKS For  Christine Simoneau Hales   2025

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel 
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983

American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

Contact Christine: chales@halesart.com

El Greco

And the Enduring Influence of Byzantine Icon Training

Hello Fellow Iconographers:

As you probably already know, I love making connections between Byzantine iconography and modern art. I always think that icons were the contemporary art of their time, so how can we bring a contemporary approach to our icon writing? This article about the work of ElGreco shows how one iconographer of the 16th century made that transition. The approaches each iconographer takes to contemporary iconography will be as individual as the iconographers themselves, but some things will remain. Here is an account of how this issue played out in the life and work of ElGreco.

Veronica’s Veil, El Greco

Doménikos Theotokópoulos—better known as El Greco—has long fascinated scholars of Early Modern art. While his mature works in Toledo are celebrated for their dramatic elongations, expressive color, and visionary intensity, less often explored in depth is the formative influence of his early training in the Byzantine icon tradition. This article examines how the discipline of icon-painting, rooted in the post-Byzantine Cretan School, left an enduring imprint on El Greco’s aesthetic, technique, and theological vision. His icon training, I argue, was not a youthful chapter to be overcome, but a structural foundation that underlay his later innovations.

Saint Paul by El Greco

From Crete to Venice

Although he was born in Crete in 1541, after receiving icon painting training in his early life, Domenikos left Crete in 1567 for Venice. Some key characteristics Domenikos learned from the icon painters were:

A hieratic vocabulary of elongated, stylized figures and flattened pictorial space intended for devotion.

The use of traditional materials and techniques—tempera, wooden panels, and gilding.

An emphasis on spiritual vision over empirical realism.

But in Venice he was encountering the artistic milieu of the Italian Renaissance and Mannerism, absorbing the vibrant color, dynamic composition and spatial experimentation of artists such as Tintoretto and Titian.  This Western training did not supplant his icon-foundation but merged with it. One of his trademark features—elongated, upward-reaching figures, almost defying gravity—can be traced back to the hieratic verticality of icons, in which figures are often elevated beyond the earthly realm. In his mature altarpieces in Toledo, this physical stretching expresses a spiritual tension: the human yearning toward the Divine.

Annunciation by El Greco

Rome, Toledo, and the Transformation of a Style

From Venice, El Greco moved to Rome (1570–1576), where he sought patronage but struggled to achieve success amid the competitive papal art world. In 1576, he relocated to Spain, where his career flourished under the patronage of the Church and the Spanish nobility. His first major commission came from the dean of Toledo Cathedral: three altarpieces for the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, works that already reveal a synthesis of iconographic form, Mannerist stylization, and Venetian color.

Even as his technique evolved, the influence of icon-painting persisted. The vertical elongation of figures—one of El Greco’s most recognizable traits—can be traced to the hieratic verticality of Byzantine icons, where figures are elevated beyond the earthly realm. In El Greco’s mature altarpieces, this elongation expresses a spiritual tension, a reaching upward toward the Divine.

Annunciation El Greco

Similarly, his treatment of space often resists Renaissance perspectival illusion. Instead of a fully realistic spatial construction, El Greco employs stacked planes and compressed layers to evoke a metaphysical dimension. Scholars have linked this to his Byzantine roots, where sacred space functions symbolically rather than empirically.

Theological Continuities: Painting as a Spiritual Act

Beneath the stylistic parallels lies a deeper continuity: El Greco’s theological conception of painting. In the icon tradition, the painter’s task is to serve as a mediator of divine light, not merely an imitator of nature. This conception of sacred art as a spiritual discipline—requiring prayer, fasting, and inner illumination—found new expression in El Greco’s Spanish works.

His figures seem animated not by physical energy but by spiritual light, glowing from within. In this, El Greco remained faithful to the iconographer’s conviction that beauty reveals the presence of God.

Pentecost, El Greco

Reception and Legacy

“El Greco is one of the few old master painters who enjoys widespread popularity,” writes Keith Christiansen of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rediscovered in the nineteenth century by collectors, critics, and artists, El Greco was hailed as both the quintessential Spaniard and a proto-modern painter of the spirit.

For members of the Blue Rider school, including Franz Marc, El Greco embodied a mystical resistance to materialism—a painter who, as Christiansen writes, “felt the mystical inner construction of life.”

Conclusion: The Icon as Foundation of Innovation

El Greco’s artistic evolution cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the foundational role of his icon-training on Crete. Far from being a mere apprenticeship, this discipline remained the structural ground of his mature art—shaping his understanding of color, form, space, and the sacred.

His work ultimately represents a synthesis of:

  • The spiritual economy of the icon,
  • The painterly brilliance of Venice and Rome, and
  • The religious fervor of Counter-Reformation Spain.

For students of sacred art and iconographers today, El Greco offers a powerful model: discipline does not restrict creativity—it frames and empowers it. His art demonstrates that fidelity to tradition can be the very source of visionary originality.

My Baptism of Jesus Icon at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Saint Petersburg
My Baptism of Jesus Icon at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Saint Petersburg

I hope you have enjoyed this article and that it is food for thought. The battle for art is not won or lost in an academic tradition, but in the spiritual realm where God is all powerful. God wants each of us to give glory to His name in each individual way that he has created us.

Here are some interesting links that are passed on from Dorothy Alexander, a friend and iconographer in California:

1.How Icons Are Made” is the fourth and final lecture by Aidan Hart presented at St. Julian’s Church in Shrewsbury, England. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2eq-NiDVE&t=82s. He speaks on both the theology as well as the practical details of making an icon.

2.You can see the beauty of natural pigments as you watch how vivianite is made from the mineral. This also helps to understand why it is not cheap to buy. The example at the end shows the versatility of the color

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww2QRpSG4fA&t=40s&pp=2AEokAIB

3. This slow moving video is an example of Instacoll gilding, faulting (repairing or filling in any holes) and burnishing with a cloth. https://youtu.be/bK1gKiO2sSo?si=CaLsBN_NLJbjt85g

That’s all for this month!

God bless you all,

Christine

These are my links if you’d like to see more of what I do:

LINKS For  Christine Simoneau Hales   2025

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel 
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983
  8. American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

Creating an Icon

Hello Dear Friends and Fellow Iconographers:

Sarasota, Lido Beach, September 2025

As we move into fall, it’s always a good time to reflect on the summer time that is past and imagine what we hope to accomplish this winter season.  I’ve been doing a lot of Icon writing teaching this past summer, which I have loved.  But it does come at the expense of having creative time to create icons, so I am very happy to have some time ahead of me to create new icons and experiment with different colors and techniques.  I hope to have some work to share with you by the end of the year!

One of the main ways I have of supporting students as they move from taking classes to working on their own is through Patreon.  On this platform, for a nominal monthly fee, I offer a few different levels of membership that can help new iconographers to grow, ask questions, share concerns about their icon painting techniques and receive feedback.  If you are interested, you can go to Patreon and look up Christine Hales Icons, or I will put a link for you at the end of this article.

All this to say, that one of my long time students has created an original and insightful icon, “The Temptation of Christ”, which I would like to share with you this month. Sue Valentine is a minister who wanted to have the icon speak to that moment of Christ’s temptation by the devil.  Along the way, through many changes and transitions, the creating of the icon has provided a space for discussing and reflecting upon this moment in Christ’s ministry, and we worked together discerning how best to portray the meaning and message in iconographic form.

Sue has generously shared about her thoughts and process which I include here, along with some sequential images of the changes the icon went through until completion.

The Temptation of Christ Icon written by the Hand of Sue Valentine

Sue Valentine's Temptation of Christ Icon

“Jesus faced three temptations before He began His public ministry.  The final temptation is the subject of this icon.  The devil led Jesus to a high place, showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world, and offered them to Jesus now, without having to suffer and die, if only Jesus would worship him.

This is a less familiar story to some, and because I wanted people to understand what they were seeing, the haiku at the bottom is an attempt to summarize the scripture for them:

“Kingdoms, if you bow.”

“Away from me, O Satan.”

“Worship God, alone.”

         Matthew 4:8-10

People struggle with the idea of whether Jesus could be tempted.  Sometimes the word is translated “test”.  But whether He was tempted or tested, for this to be a true “test”, it had to have been possible for Jesus to fail it.  What would have happened to us had He failed the test and worshipped Satan?  

Kingdoms are tempting.  Power is tempting.  The ground surrounding the kingdoms depicted in the lower left are painted with gold to depict a counterfeit of heaven’s “streets of gold”, and subtle gold highlights in the windows imply there is something desirable yet hidden within.  I decided not to make the kingdoms look more obviously attractive by applying gold to the outsides of the buildings.  Kingdoms are, after all, seductive.  But thankfully, Jesus wasn’t motivated by kingdoms. He was motivated by rescuing us.

More Progress Photos

The Homily, or Application of the Story

I felt His clarity of purpose as He responded to Satan, “Worship God, alone”, as He pointed His finger at the dragon.  I find it interesting that there is no agitation on Jesus’ face.  His eyes are closed.  He is serene.  But His conviction is clear.

Like most people, I would like to receive a reward from God without suffering, or without having to walk the whole road He has for me.  I felt that as I wrote this icon.  I struggled mightily with color choices, especially with the mountains and the inner background, and changed them many times asking the Holy Spirit to help me.  

It’s tempting to want to design our own roads.  It’s tempting to want an easy life.  But that is not the way of a disciple.  Worship of God includes acknowledging that He determines our path, including the subjects of our icons and the process we go through as we write them.”

Sue Valentine

I’m so grateful that Sue has shared this with all of us, and I hope that this can provide a model not only for discerning how to paint a particular icon, but also for allowing God to speak to us through the process of icon writing and convey that to the viewer.

With this, I put out a request to those of you with icons and their development to share with us all in next month’s newsletter. Just email me with your thoughts and photos: chales@halesart.com

I close this month’s newsletter with a prayer and quote from Psalm 106:

“For your lovingkindness is greater than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Exalt yourself above the heavens O God, and your glory over all the earth, so that those who are dear to you may be delivered, save with your right hand and answer me.”

May God grant you all peace and the ability to be peace makers, and bless the work of your hands,

Love and prayers,

Christine Simoneau Hales

My Links:

MY PATREON: CLICK HERE

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel 
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983
  8. American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

CHRISTINE HALES ICONS ON PATREON

Illuminating the Spirit: A Summer Reading Guide for Iconographers

Books and Inspiration to Enrich Your Icon Writing Practice

Summer unfurls like a painted scroll—light streaming through open windows, quiet hours stretching across the day, and, for the iconographer, a rare invitation to rest, reflect, and replenish the wellspring of inspiration. Whether you are a seasoned writer of icons, a beginner who has just dipped their brush into the egg tempera, or simply a lover of sacred art, the summer months offer an ideal time to step back from the demands of daily creation and immerse yourself in the wisdom, history, and spirituality that underpin the venerable and holy tradition of iconography.

Why Read in Summer? The Sacred Pause

In the stillness of summer, reading becomes a sacred pause—a time to deepen your understanding of icons not just as objects of devotion, but as living prayers in color and line. Iconographers often speak of their art as an act of contemplation: every stroke is a prayer, every layer a meditation. So too can reading be a contemplative act, enriching the mind and spirit while opening new vistas for creativity.

Foundational Texts: Revisiting the Roots

  • The Meaning of Icons by Leonid Ouspensky and Vladimir Lossky. This classic introduces the theological, spiritual, and artistic foundations of iconography. Through its pages, readers are led to understand the icon as a window to the divine, a theology in pigment, and a bridge between heaven and earth.
  • Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church by Alfredo Tradigo. Tradigo’s compact yet richly illustrated guide offers both historical context and practical wisdom. Each page is a pilgrimage through time, introducing saints, feasts, and the symbolic language of orthodox sacred art.
  • Icons as Communion by George Kordis. Kordis brings the ancient tradition into the present, with notes and observations on the drawing stages in icon painting. Amazon Link
  • Orthodox Icon Patterns, Patterns and sketches for Iconographers: This is the revised version of Patterns & Sketches for Iconographers, with added content and additional patterns. A valuable resource for iconographers, this book contains a wide variety of patterns and sketches. Content including; icon patterns of the Nativity, the Theotokos, archangels, male and female saints, as well as halo patterns and 2 beautiful crucifixion crosses. Buildings and fabric/ background designs and icon borders. Each pattern is accompanied by color recommendations which are meant as a general guide allowing for adjustments due to differences in color names between pigments used with egg tempera and acrylic paints.  (There is also a Volume II if you like this one.). Amazon Link

Summer Reads For Inspiration and Insight

Summer reading need not always be heavy with theory or thick with history. Sometimes, lighter fare—biographies, memoirs, and even novels—can kindle the imagination and nurture the soul of the artist. You might consider adding a few of these to your summer list:

  • Praying with Icons by Jim Forest. Accessible and warmly written, Forest’s reflections on the role of icons in prayer lift the heart and draw the reader into a deeper appreciation of how icons shape and are shaped by the life of faith.
  • The Mystical Language of Icons by Solrunn Ness.  Nes explores in depth a number of famous icons, including those of the Greater Feasts, the Mother of God, and a number of the better-known saints, enriching her discussion with references to Scripture, early Christian writings, and liturgy. She also leads readers through the process and techniques of icon painting, showing each step with photographs, and includes more than fifty of her own original works of art. Amazon Link
  • And if you would enjoy a deep dive into the life of the Blessed Mother Mary, I recommend “The Life of the Blessed Virgin” from the visions of Ann Catherine Emmerich, Incredibly revealing and edifying background of Our Lady, her parents and ancestors, St. Joseph, plus other people who figured into the coming of Christ. also available on Amazon: Amazon Link
  • And also “True Devotion to Mary” by Louis de Montfort: Considered by many to be the greatest single book of Marian spirituality ever written, True Devotion to Mary is St Louis de Montfort’s classic statement on the spiritual way to Jesus Christ though the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amazon Link
  • And last, but not least, is my own book on Icon writing, “Eyes of Fire, How Icons Saved My Life As an Artist”, with an appendix full of directions as well as an explanation of how modern art has been influenced by icons and how some of those principles can be used in present day icon creation.  Amazon Link

As the art historian Roger Lipsky says in his book, “An Art of Our Own, the Spiritual in Twentieth Century Art”, “One of the tasks of the spiritual in art is to prove again and again that vision is possible; that this world, thick and convincing, is neither the only world nor the highest, and that our ordinary awareness is neither the only awareness nor the highest of which we are capable.”

And so my purpose in sharing this list of inspirational summer reading is to encourage you to engage with the ‘pause” of the longer summer days, and ponder on the beauty of nature and be open to glimpses of eternity that a fresh perspective can often foster. And then let this “higher”perspective inform your icon practice in the coming year,. In the words of Aidan Hart, in his book, “Beauty, Spirit, Matter, Icons in the Modern World, “The Icon invites us to see the world as God sees it.” With nature all around of us. may God bless us with His perspective and insights to carry forward into our work.

Until next month,

Christine Simoneau Hales, Iconographer/artist

My Websites:

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel 
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983
  8. American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

Making Pigments, A Fine Summer Project!

Lately I’ve become very excited about making some of my own pigments. It all started with my discovery of a book written by Ellie Irons “Feral Hues”, A Guide to Painting with Weeds. It’s a lovely book, packed with examples, color samples, pigment charts and insights into gathering, experiencing, and creating pigments from weeds, or common plant that currently grow in the Hudson Valley- my former home. https://www.publicationstudio.biz/books/feral-hues-a-guide-to-painting-with-weeds/

The Feral Hues Book on My Studio Table

The colors are so delicate and resonate with a natural authenticity that I realized I wanted to include something like this in my icon writing practice.  I often enjoy experimenting and incorporating new techniques in my painting practice and this idea of connecting more with the natural world around me seems like a new facet of praying and painting. It’s inspiring to engage with nature and makes me happy to think of how this duplicates artist practices from the ancient world.

So I have done some research, which I provide here, along with some links to YouTube videos demonstrating different approaches to pigment making from natural sources to maybe inspire you to collect some natural materials from your environment this summer to incorporate in your icons or icon sketches.  I would love it if any of you make your own pigments, or just experiment with doing so, would send photos and descriptions to me and I will post them all at the end of summer!

The Historical Context of Icon Pigments

The making of pigments for icons is deeply rooted in tradition. Orthodox Christian iconographers of the Byzantine and Russian schools, for instance, inherited their pigment recipes and with these traditions, making pigments is not merely a technical exercise—it is experienced as a sacred act, performed with prayer and reverence.

Early iconographers relied on the natural world to supply their colorants: minerals, plants, earths, and even insects. Over time, as trade routes expanded, so too did the palette, with rare minerals and exotic substances making their way into the hands of skilled artisans.

Today, we can enjoy the sense of connection with nature, authenticity and spiritual resonance inherent in the process.  But first, a short video to define qualities and properties of different pigments.

Raw Materials: The Source of Color

Pigments for icons originate from a remarkable array of materials, each with its own story:

  • Minerals: Lapis lazuli (yielding ultramarine blue), malachite (green), cinnabar (vermilion red), and ochres (yellows, reds, browns) are classic examples. These minerals are prized for their intensity, permanence, and rich symbolism.
  • Earth Pigments: Natural earths provide warm tones, such as siennas and umbers. Their subtlety and stability are essential for creating flesh tones and backgrounds.
  • Plant and Animal Sources: While less common, certain reds (like carmine) are derived from insects, and greens can be obtained from plant extracts. However, these tend to be less stable over time.

The Process of Making Pigments

Pigment-making is a precise and often labor-intensive process, requiring patience and a thorough understanding of both material and method. Let us walk through the general stages:

1. Sourcing and Preparing Raw Materials

Sourcing is the first challenge. Authentic pigments demand high-quality, uncontaminated raw materials. Stones must be carefully selected for color and purity. Once acquired, the raw material—be it a mineral or earth—is cleaned of any impurities. For stones, this can involve washing, sorting, and initial crushing.

2. Grinding and Levigation

The heart of pigment-making lies in the grinding. The raw material is broken down, traditionally using a mortar and pestle, into ever finer particles. This step is crucial: the fineness of the pigment determines its brilliance, texture, and how it mixes with the binder.

Levigation follows: the ground material is suspended in water, and the heavier, coarser particles are allowed to settle while the finer, more suitable material remains in suspension. This is then collected, dried, and stored.

3. Washing and Purification

Some pigments require further washing to remove soluble salts or other contaminants that could affect long-term stability. For certain minerals, repeated washing and filtering are essential to preserve both color and integrity.

4. Testing for Quality

Not all ground minerals make suitable pigments. Quality tests—rubbing a small amount onto a glazed tile, exposing it to light, mixing it with a test binder—help the iconographer judge hue, granulation, opacity, and permanence.

Spiritual and Symbolic Dimensions

For the iconographer, making pigments is more than craft; it is a spiritual discipline. Every act—from choosing the finest lapis lazuli or malachite to breaking and grinding local river stones is done prayerfully, often accompanied by the recitation of psalms or other devotions. In the tradition, the humility demanded by such painstaking labor is itself a form of worship, aligning the artist with the saints and ancestors who have gone before.

Making Pigments From Flowers

Color holds profound symbolic meaning in the icon. Gold, for example, does not symbolize worldly wealth, but rather the uncreated light of God. Red conveys divine life and resurrection; blue, mystery and transcendence; green, renewal. The careful selection and preparation of each pigment ensures the icon communicates not just beauty, but theological truth.

Challenges and Considerations in Modern Practice

While modern chemistry offers synthetic pigments of impressive intensity and consistency, many iconographers still prefer natural pigments for their authenticity and spiritual resonance. However, challenges abound:

  • Availability: Some minerals, like true lapis lazuli, are rare and expensive.
  • Ethical Sourcing: Ensuring that materials are procured responsibly and sustainably is increasingly important.
  • Health and Safety: Some traditional pigments, such as lead white or cinnabar, are toxic. Proper protective measures are essential.
  • Conservation: Icons must be made with materials that will endure, and so a careful balance between tradition and innovation is often sought.

Conclusion

The making of pigments for icons is a testament to the union of art, science, and faith. It is a craft that honors the natural world, reveres tradition, and aspires toward the sacred. In every grain of crushed stone, in every brushstroke of egg tempera, lies a profound continuity with the past—a legacy of devotion and excellence. Obviously, if we are painting with egg tempera, then egg will be our binder. But if you read some of the comments, there are other natural binders as well.

For those who practice the art of icon writing, making pigments can be a transformative journey. It is an invitation to slow down, to engage deeply with one’s materials, and to approach the act of creation as a form of prayer. In honoring the old ways, iconographers not only preserve a heritage, but also manifest, through color and light, the inexpressible mysteries of the spirit.

One of my new Icons, “The Visitation”. Christine Hales

I hope that you are enjoying reading this blog and invite those who have an interesting article or review that would contribute to iconography practice to email those to me for possible inclusion in future blogs.

May God continue to bless the work of your hands,

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all forever.

Christine

Christine Simoneau Hales

Interesting Links for Iconographers:

These links were provided by Dorothy Alexander, an Iconographer and friend from California:

Here are most of my links:

LINKS For  Christine Simoneau Hales   2025

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983

American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

Icons as Windows of Grace

Face of Christ, by C. S. Hales

Icons as Windows of Grace: The Sacred Intersection of Art, Symbol, and Sacrament

Recently I was blessed to have an inspiring conversation with Anglican Bishop Lindsay Urwin, retired Bishop from the UK and Australia, about Icons and I share with you some of the salient points below:

In Eastern Christian traditions, icons are seen as far more than religious art. They are revered as windows into heaven, channels for divine grace, and tangible manifestations of the spiritual presence of the holy figures they depict. For the faithful, an icon is not merely a representation; it is an encounter. To venerate an icon is to respond to the invitation to draw closer to God, to perceive His grace mediated through visible form.

Icons occupy a sacred space in Christian spirituality where symbol and presence interweave. They embody what Catholic theology describes in its understanding of sacraments and sacramentals: visible signs of invisible realities. Just as the sacraments are instituted by Christ and are efficacious signs of grace—conveying what they signify—so icons, in their own way, invite us into a deeper participation with divine life. Their power lies not in the paint or wood, but in what they carry: a sacred presence and a call to communion with God.

Mary Magdalene by C. S. Hales

The sacraments themselves hold a dual nature. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops teaches, they have both a visible and invisible reality. The visible form is the rite, the action, the object we can see and touch—like water in baptism, or bread and wine in the Eucharist. The invisible is God’s grace working within and through that form, His initiative in offering redemption and love to humanity. This grace is a gift, and our response to it—imitating Christ in daily life—is itself a grace given by God.

While sacraments are central rituals instituted by Christ, sacramentals—such as holy water, rosaries, the Sign of the Cross, and yes, icons—bear a resemblance to sacraments. Though they do not confer grace in the same way, they prepare us to receive it. They sanctify the ordinary, inviting the sacred into daily life and helping us remain mindful of God’s presence.

Theosis, by C.S. Hales

The icon, then, functions as a kind of sacramental. It sanctifies our gaze. It evokes the presence of the one depicted, drawing us into relationship with the divine mystery. Through form, color, and symbolism, icons project more than their material reality; they bring into the present the holy reality they signify. Their beauty is not only visual but spiritual, awakening in the viewer an awareness of the eternal.

To look upon an icon with faith is to look with the eyes of the heart. In the New Testament, faith and love are inseparable. One cannot be a person of faith without being a person of love—not just sentiment, but a love that transforms one’s whole being. Icons invite us into this love. They offer a quiet yet powerful participation in the mystery of salvation, guiding our hearts to respond to God’s gracious initiative.

Blessed Mother, by C.S. Hales

Symbols, like icons, give meaning to our lives. They help us remember who we are in relation to God. They build within us a storehouse of spiritual memory—a reservoir of grace and encounter that can sustain us in times of doubt or difficulty. By contemplating the truths they carry, we remember that we live within a great tradition, a flowing river of grace and presence.

In the end, icons do not just teach doctrine or inspire piety; they reflect and participate in the reality of God’s action in the world. They help us to see—not with physical sight alone, but with the inward sight of faith. And through them, we step closer into that divine mystery where the visible and invisible meet.

INTERESTING LINKS FOR ICONOGRAPHERS

Betsy Porter, an iconographer at Saint Gregory’s Church in San Francisco, California, hosts interesting discussions with iconographers on Zoom that are open to all. Here is the current schedule: “These monthly Zoom meetings will continue on May 18, June 15, July 13, August 17, September 14, October 12, November 9, and December 7.  If you have a special interest or expertise in any icon-related subject, we welcome you as a discussion leader on your topic.

Some of our Zoom sessions have been recorded, when requested, and archived by St. Gregory’s office.  Here’s the permanent link to the Icon video archive. Videos are chronological, named by recording date & time.Icon Videos – Google Drive“. EMail Betsy to be put on her mailing list: betsyhartporter@yahoo.com

Until next month, May God continue to bless the work of your hands,

Christine Simoneau Hales

New Christian Icons

My Online Icon Classes

My Icon Prints

How Important Is Drawing?

Often when I teach icon writing classes, I am asked to critique students’ previous icons, and almost always, my comments revolve around drawing more.  Re-draw the composition, or the faces, or the figures. And so, for this blog post I am including some random ideas for improving your icon drawing.  

Drawing by Nun Juliana

First, I’d like to share about an iconographer whose drawings I particularly admire- Nun Juliana. Mother Juliana was a Russian icon painter who was a prominent figure in the renewal of sacred arts in Russia during the second half of the 20th century. 

Drawing by Nun Juliana

She was also a teacher of iconography, discussing the meaning of the subject matter, technique, materials, and style. Mother Juliana’s work was part of a rediscovery and renewal of sacred arts that has reached world wide proportions.

Today Mother Juliana is considered a saint by the Orthodox Church and is credited with preserving the tradition of icon painting in Russia and beyond through her work and those she taught. 

During the first decades of Soviet rule in Russia holy images, especially icons, were subjected to harsh persecution. It was a period of unrestrained, militant atheism during which, together with the closing of churches and monasteries, great numbers of icons were destroyed. From this it is easy to comprehend the difficulties faced by those who wished to preserve the traditions of Russian icon painting. 

Drawing by Nun Juliana

The nun Juliana, known to the world as Maria Nikolajevna Sokolova, preserved the living tradition of ancient Russian icon painting, transmitting it to her successors during one of the most difficult periods in the history of the Russian Church. This is the basis of her significance for modern icon painters.

Drawing by Christine Hales

Egon Sendler’s states in his foundational book, “The Icon, Images of the Invisible”, that “The drawing is of great importance because it gives structure and movement to the icon and determines the surfaces to be painted.  The ancient iconographers religiously kept the sketches of their icons so they could use them again in their later works.  These collections of drawings were called podlinik, pattern books.”

We know that in the Byzantine method, a relational system of proportions was employed, thus giving a consistency to the visual images that allow the viewer to concentrate on the meanings of the icon. This system of relational proportions was probably inherited by Egyptian artists who also used a simple grid system to standardize proportions of figures.

Egyptian Grid Drawing

Byzantine compositional drawing develops a relationship with rhythm and space in the icon that enables the viewer and the icon to meet- the dynamic elements of the icon are intentionally created to engage the viewer and bring them into a relational experience with the subject of the icon.

Without depth, the vertical method of composition is used in Byzantine compositional drawing, for example, objects which are behind in the icon are placed above in the composition, and those in front are placed on the lower section of the composition. The Nativity icon is a very good example of this principle.

Nativity Icon by Christine Hales

The last set of ideas I wish to share with you derive from Iconographer George Kordis in his book, “Icon as Communion”.  In speaking of the artistic principles of Byzantine art this is what he says, “This is what we recognize as Byzantine art, and it bears the following characteristic features:  

  1. The absence of artistic depth (there is no movement behind the artistic surface.)
  2. The essential role and fundamental importance of color in rendering form: forms are defined through color and not through the use of black or shadow..
  3. The essential role and fundamental importance of line, which determines how color is applied…
  4. The plasticity of artistic form (the juxtaposition of light and dark) in order to give the feeling of movement outward from the artistic surface toward the beholder.
  5. The pursuit of rhythm (the sense of movement that relates the figure to the viewer, uniting the two.)
Archangel Michael Drawing in Moscow

Obviously this article is presenting the tip of the iceberg!  Hopefully these thoughts stimulate your creative process and help your icons become the best representation of God’s kingdom possible.   Although I am familiar with all of these principles, I find that I need to read them often to keep them constantly in mind when I draw.

Below are some interesting links from Iconographer Dorothy Alexander:

Here is a link to the Icon retreats I am teaching this year: Icon Retreats

And here is link describing the Artist in Residence program I am participating in at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Until next month,

Blessings,

Christine Simoneau Hales

New Christian Icons

Epiphany and New Beginnings

Embracing the Light of New Possibilities

Happy New Year!  It’s a time for new beginnings, a chance to refresh our minds, hearts and spirits, a time to reevaluate our goals and plans in light of a change of perspective. 

The Eastern branch of the Church originally celebrated Epiphany as the Baptism of Jesus as early as 200AD. In the Western Church, gradually the appearance of the three kings at the nativity of Christ’s birth and the wedding feast of Cana were additionally  associated with Epiphany. 

Giotto Wedding at Cana. 13th Century

Thinking about all this, it seems to me that each of those Holy events signifies a time of new beginnings.  The three kings came to honor a newborn king- the beginning of a radical shift in the world’s perspective on sin, freedom, and God.  

The Baptism of Jesus occurred when he was in his early thirties and signified his great humility in identifying himself as human. At the same event, God’s voice declared Jesus to be His son, in whom he is well pleased.  This was the first public demonstration of both Jesus’ humanity and divinity and serves as an example for us to follow. It is for us to be humble, asking for God’s blessing at Baptism and eagerly listening to every word that comes from the Father.

Coptic Icon, Baptism of Jesus

Jesus said, ‘Out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water’. John 7:38

The wedding of Cana was the first manifestation of the miraculous marking the beginning of the miraculous ministry of Jesus. How do we enter into this ancient mystery? We might remember that when God is asked for help, He can turn even ordinary facts of reality – no wine left-  into the extraordinary fulfillment of desires and needs. 

“Since the creation of the world the invisible things of God are clearly seen by means of images. We see images in the creation which, although they are only dim lights, still remind us of God.” John of Damascus

And so, at this time of new beginnings, a New Year, let us contemplate how this feast day can affect our icon writing practice.  Any of the three aspects of Epiphany can be used to strengthen and inspire our practice in multiple ways.  Keeping a spiritual journal and recording our thoughts and drawings can make our work a process of sanctification. Sanctification is a Christian concept that refers to the process of becoming holy or sacred, or being set apart for a special purpose. It is a gradual process of spiritual growth and transformation that involves effort, commitment, and personal sacrifice. 

My Baptism of Jesus Icon at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Saint Petersburg, FL

Sanctification is a gift from God to those he loves, and is a result of grace. 

Happy New Year!

The arrival of a new year often brings a sense of anticipation and hope—a time to refresh our minds, hearts, and spirits. It is a moment for reevaluating our goals, plans, and perspectives, and for embracing the potential of new beginnings.

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany—celebrated on January 6th—marks a significant point in the journey of faith. This feast day invites us to reflect on profound moments of revelation, transformation, and divine manifestation. As we step into a new year, it’s an opportunity to consider how these themes of new beginnings can inspire and strengthen our own spiritual practices, particularly in the art of icon writing.

The Significance of Epiphany

Epiphany Mosaic Ravenna 14th century

Epiphany is traditionally a feast that celebrates the revelation of Christ to the world. The Eastern branch of the Church originally recognized Epiphany as the celebration of Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan River, dating back to as early as 200 AD. Meanwhile, in the Western Church, the focus gradually expanded to include the visit of the three kings (the Magi) to the newborn Christ and the wedding feast at Cana, marking the first public miracle of Jesus.

What unites these events is their profound symbolism of new beginnings.

Codex Egbert. 10th Century Visit of the Three kings
  • The Visit of the Three Kings: The Magi came to honor the newborn king, an event that marked a radical shift in the world’s perspective on sin, freedom, and God’s plan for salvation. Their journey was not just one of homage, but also a declaration of the start of a new era in the world’s understanding of the divine.
  • The Baptism of Jesus: At around thirty years old, Jesus underwent baptism, not because He needed it, but to demonstrate His profound humility and identification with humanity. In this moment, God’s voice declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). It was a public affirmation of both Jesus’ humanity and divinity, setting an example for us all to follow—humility, obedience, and openness to God’s will.
  • The Wedding at Cana: The first of Jesus’ miracles, turning water into wine at a wedding feast, was the beginning of His miraculous ministry. It shows how, when we seek God’s help, He can transform even the most ordinary situations into extraordinary ones, fulfilling desires and needs in ways we may not expect.

New Beginnings: The Call to Sanctification

When we consider the events of Epiphany—the kings, the baptism, and the miracle at Cana—we are reminded that new beginnings come with new insights, new possibilities, and the potential for transformation. These moments of revelation can serve as inspiration for our own lives, particularly in how we approach our spiritual practices.

One practice that can particularly benefit from these reflections is the art of icon writing. For those of us who engage in this sacred work, Epiphany offers an invitation to approach our iconography with a renewed sense of purpose and devotion.

The Role of Sanctification in Our Work

Sanctification is a Christian concept that refers to the process of becoming holy, or being set apart for a special purpose. It involves spiritual growth, effort, commitment, and sacrifice, and ultimately results from God’s grace. As we enter this time of new beginnings, Epiphany provides us with the perfect context to view our work—not just as art, but as an act of sanctification.

In the icon writing tradition, the creation of sacred images is not merely an artistic endeavor. It is a spiritual practice—a way of deepening our relationship with God and of participating in the divine work of revealing God to the world. As we create, we invite God’s grace into our work, and we seek His discernment and guidance.

One of my icon writing classes in New York

Practical Ways to Embrace Epiphany in Icon Writing

  1. Keep a Spiritual Journal: Epiphany is an ideal time to begin—or renew—a spiritual journal. Write down your reflections on the feast day, your thoughts on the new year, and any drawings or sketches that come to mind. Let this journal be a space for contemplation and prayer as you reflect on the mysteries of God’s revelation.
  2. Approach Your Icon Writing as a Process of Sanctification: Remember that icon writing is not just about technique, but also about the transformation of the soul. Let the process itself be one of spiritual growth. Each stroke, each color, each detail can be offered up as a prayer for God’s blessing and guidance.
  3. Draw Inspiration from the Three Aspects of Epiphany: Whether you focus on the humility of the Baptism, the honor of the Magi’s visit, or the miraculous transformation at Cana, let these themes inspire your work. Ask yourself how each event relates to your journey and how it can be expressed through your icons.
  4. Seek God’s Blessing and Discernment: Just as Jesus humbly sought the Father’s blessing at His Baptism, approach your work with a similar humility. Ask for God’s guidance and discernment as you create, and trust that He will equip you with the skill and insight to faithfully depict His Holy Word in visual form.

A Prayer for the New Year

Dionisius’ Russian Icon of Wedding at Cana

As we begin this new year, let us pray for the grace to approach every task, including our icon writing, as an act of sanctification. May we seek new beginnings in our spiritual lives, just as the three kings, the baptism of Christ, and the miracle at Cana brought about radical transformation. And may our work be filled with the light of Epiphany, bringing us closer to God and to the world’s deepest truths.

Epiphany is a beautiful time to celebrate new beginnings, clarity, and the light that guides us forward. Just as the wise men followed the star, we too are invited to follow our own paths of growth and transformation. May this Epiphany bring you fresh insight, new opportunities, and the courage to begin anew.

May God continue to bless the work of your hands with His gifts of discernment and skill, and may you experience the joy of new beginnings in your creative and spiritual journey through icon writing.

INTERESTING ICON LINKS:

Video with Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on Iconography:  Doorway into Heaven (39 minutes)

Birch Panels suitable to gesso for icons: Trekell Art Supplies

Blessings,

Christine Simoneau Hales. New Christian Icons

My Icon Writing Retreats in 2025

Mystics, Healing, and Icons

Dear Fellow Iconographers:

My husband and I were honored to be inducted into the Order of Saint Luke this past summer.  The Order of Saint Luke is an international, inter-denominational organization made up of healing communities of faith, prayer, and service.  And so I have been thinking a lot about icons, miracles, mysticism and healing.  Can an Icon heal?  That’s a trick question!  Only God can heal, but an icon can bring the person into remembrance of Jesus’ healing ministry to inspire and strengthen faith in God’s desire and commitment to heal His people.

Christ in Glory created by the hands of Christine Hales

So how do we define healing?  True healing is Salvation. What is Salvation?  It can mean being saved from danger, disease, and the consequences of sin by the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So, by these definitions, we create a field where an Icon can bring the viewer into visual relationship, remembrance and anticipation of the action of God’s grace which He freely gives us.

Not all icons need to be healing icons.  Some are created as vehicles for instruction in Biblical and Gospel truths, some for aiding in prayer and the liturgy, and inspiring God’s people through holiness, sacredness and beauty. My mission is to carry this healing charism in icons forward into our present day.  There’s quite a strong historical foundation of the healing ministry in the Christian church, beginning with our Lord Jesus. Many of the Christian mystics experienced people being healed wherever they went.

St. Fyodor of Rostov painted by the hand of Christine Hales

Mystics and Healing

The mystical spiritual tradition that has existed through the centuries is accepted by both the Eastern and Western Church.  In its simplest form, mysticism is a desire to touch or experience God in some tangible way. And when we touch God, we are transformed.

Both ancient and modern mystics practiced contemplation, insight, intuition, prayer in deep experience of worship in order to increase their direct relationship with God. In medieval times, men and women had a keen sense of God acting in the world around them through people, animals, and forces of nature. Mystics cultivate a devotion to God’s Holy Spirit and have their eyes open to God’s miracles happening around them.

Early Christian Mystics

Irenaeus, (c.130-202), one of the early church fathers, wrote: “It is impossible to number the gifts which the Church throughout the world has received from God in the name of Jesus Christ…Those who are in truth his disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform (miracles), so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift each one has received from Him.”

Symeon the New Theologian

Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022), emphasized the importance of having a direct personal experience with God through grace and prayed often to receive the gifts of the Spirit. “Leave the world…do not be concerned about the present life. Knock at the gates of Christ’s Kingdom for the Son will give the Spirit to whoever asks, and he who seeks will certainly find and be enriched with the fullness of all God’s gifts.”  “Pentecost to the Present”, by Jeff Oliver.

Gregory of Palamas

Gregory of Palamas (1296-1359) was a Greek Monk and theologian who, while a Bishop of Thessalonica, would defend the traditions of the Hesychasts mystical prayer practice as opposed to the more rational and intellectual approach to prayer and worship that was in fashion at the time. 

Bernard of Clairvaux

In the West, Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), wrote “We have all, I think, received the Spirit unto salvation, but not to all has he been given unto fervor.  In fact, only very few appear to be filled with this Spirit of fervor, very few show any desire to obtain it.  We are content with our own cramped littleness, and make no endeavor to rejoice in or at least to aspire to the liberty of the spirit which that Spirit confers.” Bernard believed in a personal, immediate  and direct personal faith with Christ as opposed to any rational or ritualistic approach.  When the Pope commissioned Bernard to preach the enrollment for the second crusade, Bernard preached to an open field who, upon hearing him, enlisted en masse. He then passed into Germany where miracles reportedly followed: “The breathing, the touch, the prayer, the benediction of Bernard had wonderful effects.  At his voice, the most chronic conditions disappeared instantly and entire populations related with astonishment the cures to which they had been witnesses. Everywhere along his route the blind regained their sight, the deaf and dumb heard and spoke; paralytics recovered the use of their limbs; those supposed to be possessed by evil spirits were calmed and restored to reason.

Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Icons, Mystics, and Healing

Why am I relating these early church fathers to creating icons in the twentyfirst century?  Perhaps what we need to be emulating is not the outward form of early icons, but the Spirit that created them, and how we too can create Holy Spirit filled icons that will bless God’s people in our generation and in generations to come.  I hope these monthly articles inspire and help give direction to all who seek to bless God’s people by creating holy icons.  May we hold each other in prayer for protection and the grace of God to bless the work of our hands.

Until next month,

Christine Hales

New Christian Icons Prints of My Icons

If you would like to read a post I wrote on “All Saints Day”, here’s the link: https://wordpress.com/post/americanassociationoficonographers.com/28287

If you would like to read a post I wrote on ” Miracle Working Icons” here is the link: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com/2021/11/30/miracle-working-icons/#:~:text=How%20can%20icons%20be%20miracle,some%20of%20them:%20Russian%20Icons.&text=There%20are%20many%20kinds%20of,a%20long%20period%20of%20time.

Source: Much of the information shared above comes from Jeff Oliver’s excellent book: “Pentecost to the Present”, The Holy Spirit’s Enduring Work in the Church.

What Happened to Icons in the Protestant Church?

I was brought up Catholic, changed to Anglican when I got married, and then graduated from Global Awakening, a charismatic mission based ministry school, and I love each of these denominations for how they have helped to deepen and expand my faith.  

This month’s blog could be called, “What Happened to Icons in the Protestant Church?”  Of course, many Protestant Churches today do have icons and other religious art in them today, and there is a general movement towards more ecumenical understanding  among denominations today.  But, for my own benefit, and also for yours, I think it’s worth delving into some of the historical relationships between Protestantism and holy imagery.

Our Lady of the Sign Icon written by. Christine Hales

THEOLOGY OF THE ICON

The theology of the icon is based on the Incarnation, the revelation of the Image of God in the human form of Jesus Christ. This first icon was one made without human hands and revealed in the temple of Christ’s body. By imitating the divine artist, the iconographer not only participates in sacred creation, but theologically asserts the reality of Jesus’ humanity.

Theology, the study of God in words, and iconography, the study of God in images, are two major expressions of one single faith, or we might say that an icon is a visible gospel.

However, in the early days of the Protestant Reformation, while Martin Luther was quite tolerant of images in churches, John Calvin, another leading theologian of the Protestant Reformation, was vigorously opposed to images in the church. For Calvin, God was invisible and hidden, therefore it is impossible to visually depict God.

This belief is similar to Eastern Orthodoxy in the belief that God cannot be represented in the icons. But additionally, the Orthodox believe that because God’s Son took on human flesh in the Incarnation, it is possible to depict the Son of God in icons.  Did John Calvin ever read John of Damascus’ defense of icons?

Christ Enthroned Icon written by Christine Hales

HISTORY OF ICONS IN THE CHURCH

In Eusebius’ 4th Century “History of the Church”, mention is made of colored portraits that were made of Christ and his apostles, The presence of icons in the early church implies that icons were an integral part of the early Christian tradition.  The presence of sacred images in both church and synagogue tells us that the early Church did not invent icons but carried them over from its Jewish predecessors.  This also indicates that the presence of icons in Orthodox churches today represents a profound continuity with Jewish worship.  If icons have Jewish roots, Calvin’s historical arguments are rendered nonsensical.

However, in the Western Church, during and after the Renaissance, religious art became so affected by humanism that it ceased to keep God as the main focus but instead the achievement of artists of the day became spectacular creations for their own sake. The extravagance of religious art was compounded by the absence of a regulating principle.  Eastern artistic tradition had an art-manual sand a shared understanding about proper iconography, in the West there was no centralization of its artistic tradition, thus leading to excesses that contributed to Calvin’s desire to abolish church art.

CALVINISM

Calvinism had other theological ideas and principles not commonly shared with other Protestant denominations, such as the doctrine of predestination and human depravity. According to the Calvinist, man cannot choose good, cannot obey, cannot believe, but can only choose to do evil.  Calvin was largely opposed to art and music in the service of religion and vestiges of his doctrines remain like dark shadows over Protestantism at times.

Holy Trinity Icon written by Andrei Rublev

Lutheran Churches allow the presence of images as long as they have a pedagogical or decorative purpose.  Anglicans have two places in the Book of Common Prayer where the meaning of the second commandment could be construed as against using icons in worship.

Historically , the Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicea decisively affirmed the use of icons for worship and recognized that icons are an integral part of the historic Christian Faith.

Diversity and controversy are simply facts of life, even within religious beliefs.  However, I believe that the icon of God exists in each of us for we are made in God’s image. This gives man the ability to communicate with God, to be transformed by His presence, and become like God, participating in His divine character. The Icon can serve as a bridge of prayer between God and the human person, and an icon gives the viewer the occasion to commune with the divine.

“Icons of the sacred not only set an atmosphere for prayer, but by contemplating the holiness of the person represented in the icon, one can experience the presence of God which is “contagious.” One becomes aware of praying and worshipping in the presence of angels and saints. Icons are used to enhance the beauty of the church, but also to teach us about our faith initially and then to remind us of this teaching. By bringing us in contact with holy persons, we are enthused to imitate them, helping to transform and sanctify us. Ultimately the icon is a means of worshipping God and venerating his saints.”

Our Lady of Perpetual Help written by Christine Hales

I hope that this article has helped to stimulate your faith and curiosity.  Below are links to three articles I have used extensively in this article.  Reading these articles will give a much more comprehensive and detailed view of the ideas presented here.

May God bless you in your understanding , until next month,

Christine Simoneau Hales

https://www.newchristianicons.com

LINKS TO ARTICLES:

Calvin Versus The Icon: Was John Calvin Wrong?
The Place of Images in the Venerable Protestant Tradition

http://www.udayton.edu/mary/resources/icon.html