Metamorphosis: The Transfiguration in Byzantine Theology And Iconography

by Andreas Andreopoulos

This book taps the vein of the blending of theology and art in the Middle Ages, in particular, the evolution of the imagery and theology surrounding the Transfiguration Of Christ. In this well-researched volume, Andreas Andreopoulos discusses in detail every philosophical and ritual application of the Transfiguration icon - the mountain, the cloud, the mandorla, the positioning of the apostles, the Old Testament prophets, and the image of Christ himself - taking the reader through an illustrated historical journey. The author simplifies the complex relationship between the dogma of the church fathers and Byzantine art and makes it understandable to a non-specialist audience. Nevertheless, theologians, historians, and art historians alike will appreciate the interdisciplinary value of this clearly presented documentation. Andreopoulos's expert use of patristic texts and Jewish sources, as well as the New Testament and apocryphal writings and pagan sources, elucidates the development of art and doctrine that surround this scriptural epiphany.

Genres: Theology

286 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2005

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read on the Transfiguration! I have read lots of studies on the topic, but this one is unique in the sense that it combines both theology AND iconography; it’s not: 1st part on theology, 2nd part on iconography, it’s: how does the Transfiguration theology influence the Transfiguration iconography, and vice versa, with also repercussions on/influences from the Liturgy.

I thought I knew a few things on the Transfiguration, but I discovered so much in this book; I enjoyed especially the development related to the different possible shapes of the mandorla in the Transfiguration iconography

EXCERPTS

In his works Celestial Hierarchy and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, pseudo-Dionysios describes a universe where hierarchy is the means by which divine illumination reaches down to the entire creation.
Moreover, this act of illumination, somehow following the Platonist and the Christian tradition at the same time, facilitates the return to God, the ultimate union with Him.
This is what is particularly impressive about the cosmology of pseudo-Dionysios.
His view of the universe reflects a metaphysics of the light, something unprecedented on this scale.
This light reaches to the smallest and most remote parts of creation completely undiminished, unifies the creation, and draws the creation back to the Creator. pp.148-149

“In most holy contemplation
we shall be ever filled with the sight of God
shining gloriously around us
as once it shone for the apostles at the divine Transfiguration.
And there we shall be,
our minds away from passion and from earth,
and we shall have a conceptual gift of light from Him,
and, somehow, in a way we cannot know,
we shall be united with Him and,
our understanding carried away,
blessed happy,
we shall be struck by His blazing light”.
Dionysios the Areopagite, Divine Names, 1.4.592C quoted here p.149

my full review is here: http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/20...

[Louie Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something a bit different than I’ve read in awhile. It’s part of the research I’m doing for my homily for the last Sunday of Epiphany, and I was hoping it might shed some light (pun somewhat intended?) on that subject. If nothing else, it seemed an interesting topic as I know essentially nothing about iconography or the development of it as a tradition and spiritual practice. But this is also very much a scholarly work and not the kind of book meant with a broad audience in mind, which certainly made it a bit more challenging.

For my own personal interest, the first half of the book was more captivating: an exploration of the theology and theological themes of the transfiguration narratives combined with some broad strokes explanations of how the icons of this scene tend to be structured and their constituent parts. The rest was certainly interesting from a historical perspective, as Andreopoulos does a fine job charting historical controversies in the church and the degree to which those manifested in the iconographic tradition.

This book is also a wonderful introduction to the hesychastic tradition. I have only the most cursory familiarity with it, so getting some of those details sketched in further has only heightened my interest.

Apart from that though, it hasn’t been quite as helpful in the homily prep as I was hoping it would be, but that is of course not a failure of Andreopoulos. I don’t intend to have much focus on iconography which is obviously the central focus of this book. However, I will be grateful to him for his keen observance of the Succoth connections to the transfiguration account, as that is proving immensely helpful in my own thinking through of this great theophany.

[AM · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward, clear overview and analysis of Transfiguration iconography. Some of the discussion around the theological takes on the transfiguration themselves was lacking depth and detail, but it did not drastically affect the quality of the analysis of the iconographic depiction of the transfiguration throughout history. One part towards the end (along the lines of Jesus being shown with feet on two mountains symbolizing two kingdoms) was simply wrong (it was only one mountain), but other than that, this is a solid choice for those who wish to understand Byzantine iconography in general, but especially of the Transfiguration, better.