The Reformed Ninja

Having dealt elsewhere with the innovative nature of icon veneration as a historical phenomenon in the Medieval Eastern Church, it is also important to ask: What is John of Damascus’ fundamental argument in support of the veneration of icons? Looking especially at the first of his three treatises in defense of icons, focusing on paragraphs four through eight where he provides the foundation of his argument, and beginning with the Old Testament dispensation (i.e. prior to the Incarnation), his first syllogism is basically this: 1) In regards to God, one is not allowed to depict what is invisible. 2) God was invisible in the Old Testament dispensation. 3) Therefore, one could not depict God in the Old Testament dispensation. He argues that “it is impossible to depict God who is incommensurable and uncircumscribable and invisible” (1.7). For since God had not yet become Incarnate, it was implicitly impossible to depict His Person, for none of the means by which He had revealed Himself pr...

The Normative Evangelical Doctrine of the Church as “Mother” 1. Earliest known explicit Christian usage of the concept of the Church as our mother: From 2 Clement 2.1 (dated somewhere between the end of first half of the 1st Century and the first half of the second), commenting on Isaiah 54:1 and the "barren woman" (and so appears to be the earliest known Christian commentary on Isaiah 54:1), states that the prophet Isaiah "spoke of us, for our church ( ecclesia ) was barren before children were given to it" ( The Apostolic Fathers , 3rd Edition, tr. Michael Holmes). Also, from Cyprian (3rd Century, i.e. prior to Constantine): “No one can have God as Father who does not have the church as mother.” 2. Basic Scriptural data: (22) For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. (23) But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. (24) Now this may be interpret...