Our Faith : Icons
Embracing Love
The “More Spacious than the Heavens” icon is very prominent in an Orthodox church., perhaps because it expresses some of our Faith’s core beliefs, principally the willingness of our Mother, the Church, to receive us with her outstretched and waiting arms.


Aug 20, 2008, 10:00

Our Faith : Icons
Icons: Symbolism In Color
An introductory discussion on the symbolism of colors in icons Byzantines considered that the meaning of art is beauty. They painted icons that shined with metallic gold and bright colors. In their art each color had its place and value. Colors - whether bright or dark - were never mixed but always used pure. In Byzantium, color was considered to have the same substance as words, indeed each color had its own value and meaning.
Mar 5, 2007, 17:55

Our Faith : Icons
Symbolism of Colors in Icon
Colour plays a special role in icons because it is a symbolic language which manifests the light that is inside objects and human faces rather than their colouring. The source of this light is outside the physical world. Golden strokes in icons represent this unearthly light, and the golden background symbolizes the space 'not of this world'. There are no shadows in icons. In God's Kingdom everything is permeated with this light.
May 25, 2006, 14:11

Our Faith : Icons
Why do we need icons?
The Second Commandment expressly forbids images of anything, not only of God but of anything at all. We need to ask ourselves the question why this is the case.
Nov 21, 2005, 23:58

Our Faith : Icons
Icons Differ from All Other Art in Its Mysticism
We do not have to be experts in art to tell at a glance that the art of the icon is radically different from any other art form. An icon seeks to make visible the borderline between heaven and earth. Its subject matter may be “in” this world but not “of” this world. Thus the picture becomes a sort of window into heaven.
Jan 13, 2005, 23:40