Origins of Christian Iconography Essay Example

images that each religion presents as well as the differences in them.

The resemblance the author mentions is between the synagogue Dura and the Christian catacombs and sarcophagi of Rome. The author discusses, at the same time, the different influences that each image presents.While the majority of the Christian images of the third century are abbreviated and abstract, the images of the synagogue at Dura are recognized as description of scenes presented in much detail. More importantly, the images present different concepts. While Dura is presented as the destiny of the chosen people and the subject of the ensemble, the Christian iconography presents images concerning the salvation of the individual. The author concludes based on these findings that the Jewish seems more developed iconographically while the Christian adapted the development and presented it in a culturally acceptable ways.

Understanding these different meanings and influences that each image brings to the contemporary world is the key concept to answer the question, why those traditionally symbolic religions coexisted and arranged themselves a religious art during the same period. Mentioning Manes who invented Manichean images soon after the first Jewish and Christian images occurred, the author tries to reach the point of answering the question above. The author claims that Manes criticized imagery in terms of capability of expressing ideas that would support the propagation of the religion.He sees that Manes' imagery was destined for the crowds and what could favored. This shows its competition with other religions, while three iconographies of those religions appear almost simultaneously influencing one another.

While the author claims that all religious groups are created under competition, he tries to understand the competition as

a way of keeping iconographic repertories that underline what is specific to each of the religions.In short, the coexistence of Jewish and Christian was for emphasizing the existence of each religion by having the other religion aside. In the article, the author is being critical about the claims that the first Christian iconography made into dogmatic images. He insists that the images of dogmatic themes were extremely limited compare to abstract representations of salvation in Christian iconography.

Article#1; How urban forms of Christian art have been recognized in the middle Europe. Article#2; j