...practices of keeping images for reverence and worship which is considered idolatory.
I read recently read a comment by the Actor Robert Powell who played Jesus Christ in the movie "Jesus of Nazareth", that people must desist from praying to his images from that film that he is not Jesus Christ.
Images In Christianity
In Christians homes, offices and places of worship, sculpted images, paintings and photographic portraits of Jesus Christ are mounted in strategic locations for worship and reverence: believers kneel before these images to worship, seek favours or to thwart bad lucks and dangers. While this has become a tolerable practice in Christianity today, it was not the same during the early period of Christianity. nd
Jesus Christ and the early apostles and converts were still observed some fundamental Jewish traditions and practices, one of such is total abstennance from the practices of keeping images for reverence and worship which is considered idolatory.
The Bible in Exodus 20:4, the third of God's ten commandments said: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth beneath...." That explicit warning saw the Jew avoiding collection of religious images for worship. That was the case during Jesus time and ultimately, even early periods after his ascension.
How then did the practice of keeping images of Christ or other heavenly or religious characters became part of Christianity.
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Fundamental Question
Less we forget, the apostles either by accident or deliberately did not dwelling in profiling the physical features of Jesus Christ. But how then, had the images of Christ which is been revered today conceived.
The Beginning
Hundreds of years after Christ, false teachings appeared in Christiandom: one of such is the keeping of relics of individuals considered holy whose remains, corpses, bones and even clothing could perform miracles. There even existed a claims that the remains of Jesus, not only his clothing but bones had been retrieved and in the possession of some adepts.
While this can be ignored as a heritical claim by some sects, how then had keeping of supposed images of Jesus acceptable in Christianity. There is a cultural dimension to the evolution of image collection and worshipping in Christianity.
The Connection of Ancient Rome
In AD 380 Emperor Theodosius I make Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. By then, the Romans had one of the advanced cultures and traditions in the world which they were very proud of, and would not abandone for any kind of believe.
One of their cultural and traditional practices is the creation of images of religious figures, of mythical and legendary characters and folk heroes; even elites and nobles would have sculptors create their portraits to be displayed in their homes. Therefore, when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, creating images of Biblical figures became a normal practice.
Sculptures of Jesus Christ, the apostles, Mary and angelic beings began to flourish. Christian began to buy these images to worship, to seek favours and lucks and to cast off evils.
In the turn of the first millennium AD, when painting emerges as a popular art medium, painters began painting not only images of biblical characters but of biblical scenes. In the 16th century, artist like Michael Angelo Boiranitti, Raphael and Leonardo Davinci were most famous. Their artworks were displayed in churches, and replicas were bought and displayed in homes
The Profillers
But believers had obsession with the images of Christ and needed more realistic images. Paintings of Jesus Christ were made my known and unknown artists, it peaked in the Renaissance period were the renowned artist of the day had various paintings of Jesus.
As it it is not enough, various images were presented as the real images of Christ Jesus, there is the Veronica Face of Jesus, legend has it that the said Veronica upon wiping Jesus face on his way to Calvary bearing the cross, his face was permanently printied on the piece of clothing.
The most controversial is the Turin Shroud, it was alleged that it was the piece of clothing used to wrap Jesus when buried in the tomb. The shroud/shrawl was said to had been obtained some years afterwards and had the full imprint of Jesus Christ. It was the face on this pieces of clothing that inspired further portraiture of Jesus Christ.
The 20th Century
In the twentieth century and in the present dispensation, films redefined the profiling of Jesus Christ. The lives of Christ was dramatised and filmed and widely distributed. Christians were made to identify with the sufferings of Christ as never before, the consequences is the reverence of the actors that portrayed Jesus Christ.
In Nigeria, three of such actors are most popular: Robert Powell (June 1 1944 - till date) who acted as Jesus in the movie Jesus of Nazareth in 1977.
There is Brian Dean (Feb. 13 1949 - till date) played Jesus in the 1979 movie Jesus: According to the Gospel of Luke.
And most recent Jim Caviezel in the Passion of Christ (2004), he was born on September 26 1968.
Today,the faces of these actors are adorned In most Christian homes in photo frames, as computer and mobile phones screen savers, as stickers on doors and vehicles. This collection of images is occassioned by the belief that the images brings favour, secure the home, gives luck and aid in averting evil. But that is Idolatory in the real sense.
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Consequence of Imaging
Islam had forbade the dramatization of the Prophet Muhammad and that had aided extensively in averting reverence of Images instead of true worship. That is not the case in Christianity, the images had generated so much controversies.
Some claim most portraits and dramatic portrayal of Jesus Christ presented Jesus as being of the Caucasian(White) Race instead of a semite; some had Jesus painted Jesus as black as a black man, some even alleged that renaissance paintings of Jesus Christ were in reality portraits of their patrons! The kind of worship and intercessory roles given to these images makes it idolatory.
Some justifications
It can be argued that reverence to the images is not to the image itself, but the personally that inspired it, being Jesus Christ. But Exodus warned against such practices. Yet, it is what the modern age and Christianity as an institution had condoned and tolerated and it is now acceptable by most. To re-echo Powell's words, these images ain't Christ and prayers and worships performed before then is Idolatory!
May God have mercy on us all and show us the path to live righteously, Amen.
Written by Mbuyazi Emmanuel.S
Mbuyazi Emmanuel. Historian, writer and satirist. Loves reading, writing and watching movies. You can reach him on Facebook: Mbuyazi Emmanuel; FB Page, Granddad's Lenses, grandadlenses.wordpress.com, email: zikazigadaba@gmail.com