Pavel Florensky Iconostasis Pdf Now

Drawing on his philosophy of language (rooted in the Imiaslavie or "Name-Glorifying" movement), Florensky argues that an icon is a name made visible. Just as the sound of a name participates in the reality of the person, the pigment of an icon participates in the holiness of the saint.

Florensky grounds his defense of icons in the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation. Because God became visible in Jesus Christ, matter can convey divinity. To reject the icon is to reject the possibility of matter bearing the spirit (a stance historically associated with Iconoclasm). pavel florensky iconostasis pdf

Because Iconostasis is a significant work in religious studies and art history, it is widely available in English translation (most notably by Donald Sheehan and Olga Andrejev). Drawing on his philosophy of language (rooted in