“By the sixth century, the paradoxical co-existence in God of mercy and judgment was a notion firmly rooted within patristic theology. As we might expect, it was initially explored in the context of biblical exegesis, but soon became the subject of special treatises on the divine names and attributes […] Like Philo before them, the Church Fathers saw within God both a strong polarity [between mercy and judgment] and a wondrous asymmetry: the divine scales were tipped in the direction of mercy.” (Fr. Maximos Constas, in: The Art of Seeing; Paradox and Perception in Orthodox Iconography)
Brothers and Sisters,
I invite you come and learn about the theological and aesthetic underpinnings of mercy and judgment in this treasured Byzantine icon of the 6th or 7th Century, which today resides at St. Catherine’s monastery in Mt. Sinai.
- 30 Min. Lecture. 15 Min. for questions. Following Vespers on Dec. 9th. Vespers begins at 6pm.
In Christ,
Fr. Jeffrey