Table of Contents
What role did art and architecture play in the Orthodox churches?
Art, Architecture, and the Liturgy So, the vast majority of Byzantine art and architecture were devoted to creating the perfect space for the liturgy. Byzantine churches created miniature worlds of heavenly purity, holiness, and sacred wonder.
What was the principal architectural feature of the Eastern Orthodox churches?
The two most common layouts inside Orthodox Churches since Justinian have been a cruciform layout, an open square/rectangular layout, or a more linear layout with side-aisles.
How is the Orthodox church structure?
The basic structure for the Orthodox church is defined by the New Testament writings; the canons (regulations and decrees) of the first seven ecumenical councils; the canons of several local or provincial councils, whose authority was recognized by the whole church; the so-called Apostolic Canons (actually some.
What were icons and how were they used in the Eastern Orthodox church?
The icon is seen as both a form of prayer and a means to prayer. An icon is usually an elaborate, two dimensional painting. They often have a gold leaf background and are usually on wood. They depict Christ, his mother Mary, scenes from the Bible or the lives of the Saints.
What is icon and iconostasis?
In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis (Greek: εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church.
How would you describe a church architecture?
Though church architecture has taken on many forms and levels of complexity over time, core elements are all still present today. Some of these architectural components include the steeple, portals, apse, and buttresses. Also included are components of style such as crosses and stained glass.
What type of art is Russian Orthodox famous for?
Summary of Andrei Rublev The Russian Orthodox Church has over the centuries become renowned for its religious painters but it is Rublev’s exquisite icons and frescoes that rank him the most important of all the late medieval Russian masters.
How is the Eastern Orthodox Church organized?
The Eastern Orthodox Church is decentralised, having no central authority, earthly head or a single bishop in a leadership role. Each patriarch had jurisdiction over bishops in a specified geographic region.
What is Byzantine architecture known for?
Byzantine architecture is a style of building that flourished under the rule of Roman Emperor Justinian between A.D. 527 and 565. In addition to extensive use of interior mosaics, its defining characteristic is a heightened dome, the result of the latest sixth-century engineering techniques.
What are the Orthodox sacraments?
Contemporary Orthodox catechisms and textbooks all affirm that the church recognizes seven mystēria (“sacraments”): baptism, chrismation, Communion, holy orders, penance, anointing of the sick, and marriage.
How are Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism organized?
A major difference regarding church leadership or structure is the primacy of the papacy. Roman Catholicism has a pope, who is the head of the entire church, while in Orthodoxy there is no equivalent pope figure. The real theological supreme of Orthodoxy is the Synod of Bishops, or council of Bishops.
Who is head of Orthodox?
The church has no central doctrinal or governmental authority analogous to the Bishop of Rome (Pope), but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognised by all bishops as primus inter pares (“first among equals”) and regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians.
What are icons in art?
Icon Art. What Are Icons? Icons (from the Greek term for “likeness” or “image”) are one of the oldest types of Christian art, originating in the tradition of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Typically they are small-scale devotional panel paintings, usually depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary or the Saints.
Why were icons murals and mosaics painted?
Icons. Icons – representations of holy figures – were created for veneration by Byzantine Christians from the 3rd century CE. They are most often seen in mosaics, wall paintings, and as small artworks made from wood, metal, gemstones, enamel, or ivory.
How does the Eastern Orthodox Church feel about icons?
Orthodox Christians view icons as visual representations of the people and stories of the Bible. Orthodox Christians view icons as visual representations of God and do not believe that the images have a spiritual quality.
What is the chancel used for in a church?
The east end of a church, traditionally the place where the high altar is located. Chancels may have seating for a choir, and there may be small chambers off the chancel, such as a vestry, an ‘office space’ for the priest. Chancels were often dominated by a large east window above and behind the altar.
Is the Eucharist?
Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord’s Supper, in Christianity, ritual commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. The Eucharist (from the Greek eucharistia for “thanksgiving”) is the central act of Christian worship and is practiced by most Christian churches in some form.
What is a rood screen in a church?
rood screen, in Western architecture, element of a Christian church of the Middle Ages or early Renaissance that separated the choir or chancel (the area around the altar) from the nave (the area set apart for the laity).
What influenced church architecture?
One of the influences on church architecture was the mausoleum. A small number, such as the Temple Church, London were built during the Crusades in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as isolated examples in England, France and Spain. In Denmark such churches in the Romanesque style are much more numerous.
What did they use those materials in building their churches?
A simple church may be built of mud brick, wattle and daub, split logs or rubble. It may be roofed with thatch, shingles, corrugated iron or banana leaves. However, church congregations, from the 4th century onwards, have sought to construct church buildings that were both permanent and aesthetically pleasing.
Which is an example of church architecture?
Grundtvig’s Church, Denmark This church is an example of expressionist church architecture built in 1913. The stunning façade is inspired by the stepped gables of the nearby villages and is made entirely of bricks. The church features an amalgamation of various building styles.
