Images of christ: does accuracy matter?

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HelenRose said:
As for the original question: does accuracy matter?

I would say yes and no.
Yes as a matter of historical curiosity.
No as a matter of artistic spiritual vision.

In this situation for me, artistic spiritual vision is far more important.
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To the hierarchy, clergy, religious, theologians and the Holy See the accuracy of the visual representation has never mattered.

Our focus has always been on the theology, not the history. The Jesus of history is not the same as the Jesus of faith. It is the Jesus of faith who interests us. That’s why Christology courses spend very little time on the historical facts other than to tell you who did what to whom. Things like dates and details are really important to biblical historians, not biblical exegeses.

The important thing for the Catholic Churches (East and West) and for the Orthodox Churches as well, has always been Christology:

  1. *]Who is this Jesus?

    *]Does he fulfill the prophecies?

    *]What did he teach?

    *]To whom did he teach?

    *]What happened from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday?

    *]What is his true nature?

    *]What was his mission?

    *]What is his relationship with the God-head?

    *]What is his relationship with man?

    *]Is he human?

    *]Is he truly divine?

    *]Did he actually rise or was it a spiritual manifestation?

    *]What proof does faith have that he actually rose? Forget about historical details.

    *]What did the first generation Christians believe about Christ and handed down?

    *]Did he fulfill the prophecies and if so, how?

    *]What did the Fathers teach about him?

    *]What did the Councils define about his nature and his mission?

    When we look at art, we’re looking to see if art represents the answers to these questions, not whether they got the wounds in the right place or the hair the right length. Neither of those can answer any of the Christological questions.

    Those questions are very exciting for history buffs, not to theologians, clergy and religious.

    Questions about his appearance and the wound, etc are historical, not theological. They fall into the area of Biblical History. This is a very independent area, because it involves not only the study of history, but also culture, anthropology, archaeology, hagiography, languages, sociology, literature and psychology. It’s a highly specialized field in religious studies. It helps theology, but it is not theology.

    Fraternally,

    Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
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