How Iconography Preaches the Gospel

Jonathan Pageau begins by acknowledging that many in his audience, like himself, come from or live in a Protestant world, where the understanding of images in a religious context might differ from the Orthodox tradition. He aims to offer a perspective on the place of images within the order of creation, which, while not identical to the defenses offered by the Church Fathers, is hoped to be helpful in our contemporary context.

The Image of God in Creation

Pageau highlights the fascinating aspect of the creation narrative in Genesis 1:27, where God creates humankind in His own image. In the medieval Orthodox tradition, this act was often depicted not as Michelangelo's Zeus-like figure, but as Christ creating Adam. This visual representation portrays Adam as a 'twin' of Christ, being created in His image. This is not strange to Orthodox understanding, as the Church Fathers describe the Incarnation as God's original purpose from the outset—God uniting Himself with His creation. Saint Ephrem the Syrian explicitly states that if Adam had not taken the fruit in pride, God would have given it to him in grace. Thus, Adam was created in God's image to participate in the divine life, a journey that ultimately required the detour of the Fall and the Incarnation of Christ.