The Language of Faith: Symbolism and the Arts

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Chapter 9 (I)

• The Language of Faith Symbolism and the Arts

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The Turning Point

• Emperor Constantines conversion in 312 C.E.

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The Reorganized Empire

• Diocletian (284-316 C.E.) saved the empire from
  the third-century crisis.

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Diocletians reform
Diocletian
Maximian
Caesar
Caesar
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Emperor Constantine

• 313 Edict of Milan
• Christianity became a legitimate faith.

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Emperor Constantine

• 325 Council of Nicaea
• Purpose to establish the Christian dogma ?the
  Nicene Creed

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The Nicene Creed
http//www.goarch.org/en/resources/clipart/icondet
ail.asp?i55cOtherrEcumenical_Synod
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Doctrinal Quarrels

1. Trinity Christ Father, Son, Holy Ghost
2. Regionalism regional hostilities were
   aggravated. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
   churches split in 1054.
3. State involvement Secular interference in Church
   matters increased, esp. in the East.

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Hierarchical Organization

• Patriarchs ? bishops in charge of Rome,
  Jerusalem, Constantinople, Antioch, and
  Alexandria.
• Archbishops/metropolitans ? provinces
• Bishops ? dioceses
• Priests ? parishes

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Primacy of the Bishop of Rome

• (1) a scene of the missionary activities and
  eventual martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and
  Paul.
• (2) the doctrine of the Petrine Succession

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Primacy of the Bishop of Rome

• (3) After the capital was moved to
  Constantinople, the pope replaced the Roman
  emperor as head of public administration.

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Spread of Monasticism

• Fourth century
• (1) A substitute for martyrdom a desire to prove
  ones religious ardor by self-abasement and
  suffering.
• (2) Monasticism satisfied the desires of those
  who wished to avoid secular temptations.

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St Simeon Stylite spent thirty-six years living
on top of a pillar, in prayer and devotion.
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East St. Basil (330-379) Features fasting,
poverty, and celibacy http//www.st-basil.org/
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West St. Benedict (480-547) The Benedictine
rule http//www.mycatholictradition.com/saint-ben
edict.html
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The Benedictine Rule

• Vows poverty, chastity, obedience
• A program of prayer and work

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The Benedictine Rule

• Contributions
• (1) Missionary work
• (2) Emphasize the dignity of Manual labor
• (3) Learning Benedictine monasteries became
  centers for learning and transcribing in the
  Middle Ages.

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Women

• The rise of a negative attitude toward women?
• (Con) Spiritual egalitarianism women could be
  saved as fully as men.
• (Pro) (1) Excluded from positions of leadership
  in church (2)Women gt flesh Men gt spirit (3)
  Virginity accepted as the highest standard

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Marriage

• Marriage gtgtgt procreation
• Women gtgtgt limited roles
• submissive wives
• mothers

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Latin Church Fathers

• Jerome (c. 347-420)
• Ambrose (340-397)
• Gregory (c. 540-604)
• Augustine (354-430)

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St. Jerome

• Translated the Bible from Hebrew (OT) and Greek
  (NT) into Latin the Vulgate

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St. Jerome (painted by El Greco) translated the
Old and New Testaments into Latin.
http//www.tihof.org/images/jerome/greco.jpg
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St. Jerome

• Much of the Bible was to be understood
  allegorically, rather than literally.
• Classical learning could be valid if subordinated
  to Christian aims.

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St. Augustine

• The Confessions his autobiography. Established
  the dualistic model of reality the unclean
  body and the purified soul (by extension,
  matter and spirit, earth and heaven, Satan and
  God, state and Church).

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St. Augustine

• On the City of God
• City of Earth vs. City of God

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Christianization of Classical Culture

• (1) A gradual winnowing out of the classical
  texts that had been produced in Greece and Rome
  between the 5th century B.C.E. and the 2nd
  century C.E.

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Christianization of Classical Culture

• (2) An understanding of the purposes of classical
  culture for a Christian audience.

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• Early Christian Art

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sacophagus
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catacomb
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Christ as Good Shepherd
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Christ as the Good Shepherd, the mausoleum of
Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425-426. Mosaic.
http//mh1.xplana.com/imagevault/upload/c20fadda23
a7d46f8003.jpg
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• Christian Symbolism

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Symbolism and Early Christian Art (a) Christian
monograms (b) symbols of the four evangelists
and (c) Latin and Greek crosses http//mh1.xplana.
com/imagevault/upload/34b4a94ac52f06114f9d.jpg
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The chi-rho symbol
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Orans
http//www.orderofcenturions.org/IMAGES/orans_cata
comb2.jpg
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Food for Thought

• Study and identify the iconography of the life of
  Jesus.

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http//members.aol.com/nonstopny/italiano/nativity
.jpg
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• The End