Scholarly record
THE VOICE OF GOD AND ITS ANTHROPOMORPHIC REPRESENTATION IN THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN ART
Abstract
In the Hebrew Scripture, the representation of God is totally forbidden by the second commandment of the Decalogue. The Ten Commandments also debut with the categorical affirmation of One God and with the prohibition to represent Him in some contingent form. Deuteronomy 4:12 is a development of this commandment, insisting that the anthropomorphic representation of God is forbidden, because no appearance was visible to you, except the voice. The voice of God is revealed, becomes "visible", perceptible to the senses, revealing the personal God, God the Word. The Incarnation of the Son of God, the Word that descended from heaven, as the Evangelist John describes Him, meant the possibility of iconographic representation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. This study aims to answer at the following questions: How could the voice of God be visible? And how could it be represented iconographical? The representation of the Voice of God as a Hand from the Heaven is an iconographical compromise in the Jewish and Christian culture and remained a challenge for iconographers throughout history, till today.
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References6
Stăniloae D. Teologia Dogmatică Ortodoxă. 2nd ed., vol. 3, EIBMBOR, București, Romania, 1997, pp 231-232, 17;
Thon J. Das interesse an Sprache in Gen. 11, 1-9. in Thon J. & Veltri G. & Waschke E.-J. (eds.), Sprachbewusstsein und Sprachkonzepte im Alten Orient, Alten Testament und rabbinischen Judentum, Orientwissenschaftliche Hefte 30, Germany, 2012, pp. 95- 120;
Carse J.-P. The Silence of God: Meditations on Prayer. Harper-Collins, USA, 1985, pp. 25-26;
Evdokimov P. L’art de l’icône théologie de la beauté, Déclée de Brouwer, Paris, France, 1980, pp. 179, 199;
Semen P. Experiența umanului cu divinul, după Sfânta Scriptură. Teologie biblică, Editura Performantica, Iași, Romania, 2007, p. 40;
Wigoder G. Enciclopedia iudaismului, translated by Radu Lupan şi George Weiner, Hasefer, Bucureşti, Romania, 2006, p 92.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.
