Three Treatises on the Divine Images

Three Treatises on the Divine Images PDF

Author: Saint John (of Damascus)

Publisher: St Vladimir's Seminary Press

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9780881412451

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In AD 726, the Byzantine emperor ordered the destruction of all icons, or religious images, throughout the empire, and icons were subject to an imperial ban that was to last, with a brief remission, until AD 843. A defender of icons, St John of Damascus wrote three treatises against "those who attack the holy images." He differentiates between the veneration of icons, which is a matter of expressing honor, and idolatry, which is offering worship to something other than God.

Living in an Icon

Living in an Icon PDF

Author: Robert Gottfried

Publisher: Church Publishing

Published: 2019-08-17

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 1640652361

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• Helps bridge the gap between love of God and love of nature • A separate Facilitator’s Guide accompanies the book for small group usage Many people experience God most strongly in nature but do not know how to incorporate this experience into their spiritual life. Others question whether Christianity has room for nature at all and seek alternatives elsewhere, often leaving Christianity entirely. This book addresses this crucial issue by providing a resource for fostering a closer relationship with God and creation. With a step-by-step approach, this book provides a framework integrating asceticism with the contemplation of nature. Each chapter contains a “take it home” section for applying the lessons learned outdoors to everyday life, connecting God and nature as seamless components of spirituality. Topics include gratitude, delight, ppreciation, wonder, discernment, reverence, mortality, love, beauty, humility, silence, and hope.

Icons of Hope

Icons of Hope PDF

Author: John E. Thiel

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780268042394

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John Thiel, one of the most influential Catholic theologians today, argues that modern theologians have been unduly reticent in their writing about 'last things': death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. He offers a revision of the traditional Catholic imaginary regarding judgment and life after death that highlights the virtuous actions of all the saints in their Heavenly response to the vision of God.

Light from the East

Light from the East PDF

Author: Michel Evdokimov

Publisher: Paulist Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 9780809142781

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This extraordinary collection of full-page, full-color icons introduces readers, art appreciators, and historians to the spiritual riches of the Byzantine liturgical tradition. Father Michael Evdokimov, a Russian Orthodox priest living in Paris, has presented an icon for each of the twelve great feasts of the Orthodox Christian liturgical year, as well as for other special moments of prayer. Preceding each icon is a brief commentary explaining its meaning and significance. Furthermore, facing each icon are prayers appropriate for meditation that have been translated by the Monks of New Skete Monastery in upstate New York. In a simple and accessible manner, translator Robert Smith has brought text, prayers, and icons together to show how the beliefs and practices common to Orthodox people everywhere in the world can be appreciated by all. Book jacket.

Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting

Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting PDF

Author: Aidan Hart

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780852442159

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This is the most comprehensive book to date on the techniques of icon and wall painting. Illustrated with over 450 colour photos and 180 drawings, it will be a source of pleasure and inspiration for the general reader as well as for the practising icon painter. The book is more than just a technical manual; it sets artistic practice in the context of the Church's spirituality and liturgy, with chapters on the theology and history of the icon, the role and symbolism of the iconostasis, and the principles behind the positioning of wall paintings within churches. The wealth of information in this book makes it an indispensable reference text, not only for iconographers but also for any painter working in egg tempera, fresco or secco. All the necessary processes are covered, including the making gessoing of wooden panels, gilding, preparing pigments, lime plastering and fresco, the various techniques for painting in tempera, right through to photographing the finished artwork. -- from dust jacket.

Eyes to See

Eyes to See PDF

Author: Mary E. Green

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2014-10-01

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 0819229393

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Eyes to See: The Redemptive Purpose of Icons offers the discovery of life-giving spiritual insights found through learning to read the language of religious icons. Written especially for those whose traditions have not included icons, this book introduces eight icons written (painted) by the author. Historical notes, explanation of symbolism, related scriptures for interpretation, and a reflection for each icon deepens understanding and appreciation for the ancient holy images of the Church. The book is eight chapters in length, each describing one of the eight full-color icon plates in the insert.

Blood Communion

Blood Communion PDF

Author: Anne Rice

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2018-10-02

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1524732656

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, telling us the mesmerizing story of how he became prince of the vampire world, and of the formation of the Blood Communion, and how his vision for the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be. Lestat takes us from his ancestral castle in the snow-covered mountains of France to the verdant wilds of lush Louisiana, with its lingering fragrances of magnolias and night jasmine; from the far reaches of the Pacific’s untouched islands to the 18th-century city of St. Petersburg and the court of the Empress Catherine. He speaks of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, avowed enemy of Queen Akasha, who refuses to live in harmony at court and who threatens all Lestat has dreamt of....

Architecture in Communion

Architecture in Communion PDF

Author: Steven J. Schloeder

Publisher: Ignatius Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 9780898706314

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Amid the growing dissatisfaction with Catholic church architecture since the Second Vatican Council, and the general lack of clear and vibrant direction in liturgy, this book responds to the timely question of "How ought we build our churches?" Drawing upon the texts of the Second Vatican Council, recent papal encyclicals, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Schloeder examines this question in depth with regard to history, theology, iconography and symbolism. Schloeder seeks not merely to analyze why modern churches are so uninspiring, but he offers positive direction for the renewal of an authentic Catholic architecture: one that respects the traditions of the Church's magnificent artistic heritage while advancing the vision of the Second Vatican Council. The key to the solution is to regain a sacramental vision of the liturgy and of architecture, a vision that will help us to build churches that nurture the human spirit with beauty and meaning.