Description
Book SynopsisAn exposition of Orthodox systematic theology, ''Gazing on God'' is written from the point of view of the experience of the faithful, drawing on traditional icons and liturgy. By tracing the depth of some key Christian concepts -salvation, Logos, the Trinity- Andreas Andreopoulos provides a framework for the theology of experience. In the following chapters seven select icons are analyzed, in order to demonstrate the theological ideas and themes that may be revealed by studying Christianity through iconography. The analysis touches on topics such as time (the eternity of God, ''flat'' liturgical time), space, the Church as the Body of Christ, and the Trinity.''Gazing on God'' offers to all Christian traditions a demonstration that, while our understanding of the development of Christian views and attitudes is guided by the history of theological ideas, Christianity includes from the beginning a strong dimension of meta-linguistic knowledge, which is expressed in its liturgy, as well a
Trade Review"The author takes us through his exhibition of chosen icons and shows how they convey biblical and theological truth, and so incorporate us into the life of the church though meditative looking, The author uses illustrations from his native Greek culture, and this introduces an approach that maybe fresh and unfamiliar [...] He shows us not only that there are varied ways of appropriating the tradition of faith, but also that faith has to be expressed and communicated within a specific culture and that each age has to discover its own language, images and experiences, in order to express faith in a way that lives." The Revd. Dr John Binns, Church Times, (Sept, 2014) "This is a gem of a book, and although it doesn't claim to give a full account of the theology of the icon, like the classic two-volume work of Leonid Ouspensky, a number of popular misconceptions are corrected. It is, as Andreopoulos writes, less about what we see as about who sees us (pp. 60 and 130)." Caroline Williams, in "The Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East Bulletin", issue 62, winter 2014-15 "This is an excellent and interesting book that I hope will be read by anyone who is interested in iconography, and more broadly, anyone who is interested in the interaction of liturgy, aesthetics and theology. " Stephen Stavrou, in "Art and Christianity", vol.81, Spring 2015 Andreopoulos brings Art History to bear in a lively and relevant Theological fashion ... this is a stimulating work that would be a good partial introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy for Undergraduates and non-academics. Christopher Villiers, Theological Book Review, volume 26, no 1, 2014
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Perspective Part One: The Theology of Experience 1. Faith and Experience 2. Logos 3. Christ and the Trinity 4. Time, Space and Eternity in the Liturgy Part Two: An Icon Exhibition 5. Icons: The Way to Gaze on God 6. The Crucifixion 7. The Descent into Hades 8. The Protection of the Theotokos 9. The Life Giving Fountain 10. The Burning Bush 11. The Bogolubskaya 12. The All Seeing Eye of God Part Three: Holding the Gaze 13. After the Icon Exhibition 14. Towards a Meta-linguistic Theological Methodology Referenced Works and Suggested Further Reading Index
