| Title | : | Praying with Icons |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1570751129 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781570751127 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 171 |
| Publication | : | First published February 17, 1997 |
Praying with Icons Reviews
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This is a fine book about icons, more than just picture after picture of them. The second largest Christian group in Finland are Orthodox people, so I have already a small collection of icons, though only one clearly hand-painted (Saint Nadezda, Saint Hope). This book provides some depth to this type of religious art. The author is a convert living in the Netherlands (with some other books also), who got his first icon from Thomas Merton - he also speaks of their importance to Dorothy Day and Henri Nouwen.
There are many pictures of icons, including two pictures of places with several icons (one in the usual corner-style). There's chapters on the history and theology of icons, how they are made and what qualities icons have (visual and mental), and how to use them as guides for prayer (they are windows of connection), and finally there's talk of some typical ones (certain scenes, Jesus, Mary, and saints - including holy fools). At the end there are some prayers, where to get icons (US and UK), and some notes on text.
The author makes a clear point in how useful the icons are. Their stillness is very welcome for contemplation and prayer. Made me want to get some more icons, especially of the ones I've overlooked. This is a good book to read even for the not-orthodox Christians, and the pictures are clear and lovely. Very worth the read. -
I have read the icon controversy in church history, but I had never read an Orthodox Church presentation of Icons. Jim Forest's "Praying with Icons" was given to me by a friend. It gives an easy-to-read overview of what it means in the Orthodox Church to use icons in worship.
I view it as a helpful presentation of the topic for western Christians. It is easy to relegate whole points of view without actually having investigating the details. My opinion is that is a dangerous way for any of us to treat other people. Forest's book is a great way to get the basic overview. -
Mixed with autobiographic experience, the author provides a concise explanation of icons and their role in Orthodox worship available.
Being written by a layman rather than a theologian or clergyman, Praying with Icons provides a clear window through which the ordinary reader can understand iconography without being bogged down by jargon or lost in heavily footnoted exposition. -
"The life of prayer is a constant well of beauty."
"The liturgical year is a procession of icons through which we keep returning to the main events of salvation history."
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This is a solid introduction to the spirituality of icons in Eastern Christianity. A blend of educational and devotional, it makes me want to read further on the subject and also to make icons more a part of my prayer life.
I'm indebted to Jim Forest also for introducing me to this beautiful morning prayer from the elders of Optino:
O Lord, grant that I may meet all that this coming day brings to me with spiritual tranquility. Grant that I may fully surrender myself to Thy holy Will.
At every hour of this day, direct and support me in all things. Whatsoever news may reach me in the course of the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and the firm conviction that all is subject to Thy holy Will.
Direct my thoughts and feelings in all my words and actions. In all unexpected occurrences, do not let me forget that all is sent down from Thee.
Grant that I may deal straightforwardly and wisely with every member of my family, neither embarrassing nor saddening anyone.
O Lord, grant me the strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events that take place during it. Direct my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to be patient, to forgive, and to love. Amen. -
I love books that draw me into prayer and convict me while reading, not just stagnant theology or an appreciation of technique or details. The book presumes the reader has an ongoing dialogue with the Lord and seeks to deepen that relationship through a deeper encounter with icons and the saints.
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A great book. I am always happy to learn ways to improve my personal prayer and Jim Forrest gave some remarkable insights to the purpose of prayer, what praying does for an individual, and strategies to improve concentration during prayer--icons. While I am not of the Orthodox faith I found many truths that I feel will improve my prayer.
Without a doubt, the book caused me to reflect upon my own iconography--the images and pieces of art work I turn to for peace and to help my concentration as I access the heavens. I love Thorvaldsen's Christus at our temple visitor's centers. Many times I have taken myself to Temple Square to sit in the room and gaze at his outstretched hands. I love beacutiful art work of the Savior and scriptural interpretations on canvas. I am drawn to images that are not 'noisy' but enamate peace, serenity, and beauty.
I love the picture I have of the Western Wall---no, I am not Jewish, but for me my experience in Jerusalem has made it a sacred image. I love the picture of Joseph Smith and his vision of the Father and the Son. I love art that inspires my mind and soul--that deepens my desire to pray. I had never thought about how much 'icons' do impact my spiritual life, and now I hope to ever improve it by being more attentive to those images or things that draw me closer to God.
A few insights I really appreciated are:
"I am astonished that people are not astonished." G. K. Chesterton observed. Prayer life is in part a consequence of awe. The person who is not amazed is out of touch with reality. To be alive, to be sensitive to beauty, to glimpse the vastness of the cosmos, to become more aware of the hidden structures of being, to watch dancers or skaters, to see people in love, to witness a child learning to walk or speak, to contemplate the faces of other people, to smell freshly baked bread, to watch leaves bursting into the spring air from a barren branch--these and countless ordinary events in life never lose their capacity to astonish. A healthy soul is constantly returning to a condition of wonder. Awe is itself a state of prayer." p. 36
"Pray for others. Do it every day. Keep a list of people in need of prayer. Be sure to include not only those you love but anyone you regard as an adversary or enemy. Prayer is where love of enemies begins." p. 53
"Prayer life is an esential aspect of outgrowing selfishness. There is no going to heaven alone. One of the great monks of the desert, Saint Dorotheos of Gaza, taught that 'whoever comes closer to his neighbor comes closer to God, while whoever is distant from his neighbor is distant from God.' Prayer is never an escape from others, but rather equips us for greater intimacy, deeper caring, a growing capacity for self-giving love." p. 57
"Learning to pray in an unhurried way can help us become a less hectic people." p. 42
"We pray out of our joy in who God is. 'Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God,' said the French poet Leon Bloy." p. 37
Amen :) -
An amazing book, I'm not Eastern Orthodox (Messianic Jew) but the beauty and presentation is amazing. Only theological problem I have---and it's not the icons (I know some people get caught up in Graven images, but the way it's explained, the saints do not seem to be worshiped but are used as tools to help the Christian focus and draw closer to God, anyway that is a different theological discussion for another day)----It's Mary the Mother of Jesus, known as the Theotokis. I believe that she was mother of our Lord and that it was a virgin birth. But ever virgin? That seems cruel to Joseph, and there is nothing wrong with sex; God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. In fact the Gospel of Matthew 13:55-56 support this: 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? (KJV). Tertullian was one of the early Church fathers who also held the same view as I did. Anyway, looking at both the Greek and Aramaic root structure didn't help.
So other than that complaint, the book was awesome, and it should be checked out regardless of religious affiliation. It's worth it. -
Great introduction to the subject of icons. " then she looked at the icon and asked, 'and do you love the Mother of God?' Now Hannes was at a loss and stood for a moment in silence. Calvinist that he was, he could hardly say yes. At last he said, 'I have great respect for her.' 'Such a pity,' she replied in a pained voiced, 'but I will pray for you,' immediately she crossed herself, kissed the icon and stood before it in prayer. 'Do you know,' Hannes told me, 'from that day I have loved the Mother of God.' p.73
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This book probably hovers between 3 and 4 stars. One of my friends recommended this book as a good 'primer' for understanding the use of icons in Christian Orthodox worship. While I had long regarded these images as merely religious art, this book was a well written and straight forward explanation and account of the practice of praying with icons, from the history to the process to interpretations of well known icons in the Orthodox church. It opened my eyes to a kind of worship that encompasses all of our senses and gave me a lot to think about.
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A really fine beginner's guide to praying with icons. The new release of this book is gorgeous, and the writing is informative, simple but inspiring. I wrote a proper review of this book recently, but won't paste it here--I'd most recommend it to those wanting to deepen their prayer lives and learn a bit more theology of the Christian faith in the process. There's not a ton of information on iconography itself--so if you're looking for that type of book--this isn't the title for you...
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This is the first book I read about Icons. I thought it was fabulous. I have been brought up in Protestant Christianity, so this book built a perfect bridge between that and the practices of Icons. It is written in a beginner mannerism for those who are looking to understand more about what icons are and how they are used for prayer. It gives a brief history of the commonly seen icons and speaks briefly into the symbolism in those icons.
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An excellent introduction to the role of icons in Eastern Christianity. I just wish the photos had all been printed in color. Forrest discusses specific icons in great detail, but the reader loses so much when the only example of an icon is a black and white photo. An all-color printing would merit five stars.
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An excellent introduction to icons and prayer, with specific descriptions to some of the more common icons found in the Orthodox Christian Church. Jim Forest is very knowledgeable, and very readable. Highly recommended.
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Excellent. This book has the best 2 chapters on prayer I have ever read. I have read books on prayer, but these two chapters spoke so wonderfully and simply about prayer that a whole book tries to say. This book makes me love the beauty and importance of icons even more.
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Good book, but probably would have been better if I hadn't read Theology of the Icon (which is much meatier) a few years before.
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Icons became a great interest for me, especially after reading some of Nouwen's comments concerning them.
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I read this book in its first edition, before I was Orthodox, in order to understand icons. Jim explains beautifully.
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Sometimes arguments are not won by logic or reason or even by words. Sometimes the best case for certain beliefs is made by a story, an experience, or the testimony of beauty. How many people have chosen to create a marriage by following a logical argument to its conclusion, for instance? With our evangelical theological heritage though, we often tend to think our religious beliefs play out almost exclusively in the realm of logic and reason. Or at least we act like we do. (This is where you get the modern ugliness of young earth creationism and strict Biblical literalism.) Theology though—or at least the religious life—is the testimony of beauty played out through history. One of the ways this is most apparent in Orthodox Christianity is in the heritage of icons.
As Jim Forest’s book illustrates, the concept of the icon itself is in some ways an icon of the Church itself. Theologically, icons are a symbol of the Incarnation—that what before was ineffable has now become flesh. They are also a representation of sanctity: saints whose lives have been transfigured by holiness into Christ-likeness remain not simply as a concept or memory but as an abiding spiritual presence. And again: they are windows into the historical life and testimony of the Church— who these people were, how they lived, how they have been cherished. This historic testimony is alive in all its forms and hymns, in its music and liturgy, but it is perhaps most present in the vivid, luminous faces of its icons (both on wood and in flesh).
Because of all these reasons, though Forest does not lay them out systematically, his work, Praying with Icons, is not as much a manual of praxis or a straightforward study in iconography (though there are introductory chapters on these topics as well as on the creation of icons). Instead it becomes in some sense a primer on the Church itself. The bulk of the book is a series of meditations on several important icons. Though to me the selection seemed a bit haphazard and heavily Russian-influenced, these chapters introduce a wide array of Church tradition, history, and belief through the lenses of icons. The feeling of an introductory primer to Orthodoxy in general was also born out by the selection of prayers included at the conclusion of the volume.
Praying with Icons was published as part of an ecumenical series of texts aimed at all believers, so the feeling of a presentation of Orthodox spiritual practice through icons is apt and accessible. My primary complaint with the book is the low quality of images throughout. Though the book is built on the concept of their great beauty, the images reproduced (including the image chosen for the cover of the volume) are poor quality and do little to communicate visually their richness. Though Forest has seen many of these famous icons in person, some images seemed simply too low quality for high-resolution reproduction. Having seen other books where the icons were reproduced with great clarity and color, this was disappointing.
This is a book I would pass along to others curious about Orthodox practices or even to fellow parishioners looking for a simple, accessible adjunct to their own spiritual practice. The meditations Forest writes on each icons are lovely and concise and would be useful to those looking for basic “devotionals” built around these silent but somehow expectant witnesses in color and light to the life of the Church.
