Depicting the Word

This volume is a comparative study of the major iconophile writings of John of Damascus, Theodore the Studite and the Patriarch Nikephoros. Contrary to expectations, this study shows that far from being reactionary in their thought, the iconophiles were in fact more radical in their theology that the iconoclasts.Following an historical introduction, the first part of the book deals with philosophical themes. Titles of particular chapters include Aristotelianism, Icon and Idol, Patristic Authority, Written and Unwritten Tradition, Modes of Veneration, and Biblical Exegesis.This book will be of considerable interest to scholars and students of the Byzantine iconoclastic period. Readers seeking to understand the importance of icons and iconography in Byzantine Christianity will find this volume particularly useful.