The Christian Church in the Orthodox Liturgical and Byzantine Arts Tradition.
| Title | Ο Χριστιανικός Ναός: Ορθόδοξη λειτουργική και βυζαντινή καλλιτεχνική παράδοση. / The Christian Church in the Orthodox Liturgical and Byzantine Arts Tradition. |
| Code | ΛΤ19 |
| Faculty | Theology |
| School | Social Theology and Christian Culture |
| Cycle / Level | 2nd / Postgraduate |
| Teaching Period | Spring |
| Coordinator | Eleni Chrysafi |
| Common | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 600015755 |
Programme of Study: Orthodox Theology and Christian Culture
Registered students: 10
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biblical, Patriarchal, Hagiological and Religious Studies | Elective Courses belonging to the selected specialization | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| History, Doctrine, Philosophy and Archeology | Elective Courses belonging to the selected specialization | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Applied Theology | Compulsory Course belonging to the selected specialization (Compulsory Specialization Course) | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Academic Year | 2023 – 2024 |
| Class Period | Spring |
| Instructors from Other Categories |
|
| Weekly Hours | 3 |
| Total Hours | 39 |
| Class ID | 600229820
|
Course Type 2021
Specific Foundation
Course Type 2016-2020
- Scientific Area
Course Type 2011-2015
Specific Foundation / Core
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600229820
- At the Website of the School: https://www.past.auth.gr/el/node/2940
- eLearning: https://elearning.auth.gr/course/view.php?id=13151
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
- English (Instruction, Examination)
- Italian (Instruction, Examination)
Prerequisites
General Prerequisites
Degree of Theology or of other university school
Learning Outcomes
After the successful completion of the course the students:
(1) will be familiar with the study and critical analysis of various aspects of Byzantine Christian culture.
(2) will be able to clearly and coherently describe the characteristics of a Christian church and their development through the centuries in the context of the Orthodox liturgical and Byzantine artistic tradition.
General Competences
- Apply knowledge in practice
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Adapt to new situations
- Work autonomously
- Work in teams
- Work in an international context
- Work in an interdisciplinary team
- Generate new research ideas
- Be critical and self-critical
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Based on fundamental symbolic forms and archetypal structures, Byzantine church architecture made use of material in order to convey the "unintelligible", to depict the invisible through visible means, to make the unknown known, to symbolically indicate the "timeless" and "infinite" space as a sign of the "inseparable" and visually "inaccessible" presence of God. It was within the shell of the Byzantine church buildings that the Orthodox religious ritual and the Christian iconographic tradition were formed and developed. The liturgical events and the act of worship influenced the form and organisation of the space and the decoration of Byzantine churches, having a decisive influence on the formation and development of both ecclesiastical architecture and Orthodox iconography. The course will discuss issues related to Byzantine church architecture (theological background, functional prerequisites, typological development, symbolic dimension and aesthetic approach) and the pictorial mural decoration of the Christian church (aesthetic approach, formation and development of Orthodox iconography in relation to the Holy Tradition and the Divine Liturgy).
SYLLABUS:
1. Introduction: The historical context, the theological background and the functional presuppositions of Christian art - The Christian ideal and its aesthetic character - The High and the Beautiful in Christian art - The concept of Beauty in Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagite.
2. Space in Byzantine thought - Heavenly space in Christian tradition and art: Paradise, House of God and Heavenly Jerusalem - Heavenly palace and the Great Palace - The sacred space of the Christian church as a reflection of heavenly order and hierarchy.
3. Form and Symbol in Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture - The Christian church as Icon and Centre of the World - The expression of the High in Byzantine temple architecture.
4. Symbolic interpretations of early Christian and Byzantine architecture - The architecture of the Byzantine temple as a sacred icon - The parts of the temple: symbolism, function and use - The role of light and colour in Byzantine church architecture.
5. Byzantine church architecture and worship: Heavenly and earthly liturgy - The evolution of the Divine Liturgy and its impact on church architecture: the role of liturgical needs and worship uses - The liturgical structures of bishop's churches (synod, pulpit, bishop's throne).
6. Architectural composition in Byzantium - The formation and development of trends and typologies in Byzantine church architecture - The role of models and tradition, the architect and the sponsoring employer.
7. Byzantine temple architecture as a vehicle and means of projecting the dominant political ideology and as a field of superior artistic creation.
8. The Byzantine theology and philosophy of the icon - The Byzantine icon as an object of aesthetic approach, art and worship - The expression of the High in Byzantine painting: morphology-style-composition.
9. The iconographic hierarchy, the role, position and function of icons in the temple - The formation and development of iconographic cycles and figures in relation to the doctrinal principles, the functional needs and the evolution of Byzantine church architecture.
10. The decoration of the sanctuary and the influence of the Divine Liturgy - Iconographic figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary in the apse - The Holy Mandylion, the Communion of the Apostles, the Melismos, the Celestial Liturgy, the Hierarchs in communion - The decoration of the iconostasis, the Prothesis and the diaconikon.
11. The decoration of the dome, narthex and other parts of the Byzantine churches - Christological and Theotokos cycle.
12. Symbols and symbolic representations in early Christian and Byzantine painting.
13. Light and colour in Byzantine iconography: Dogmatic, aesthetic, iconographic and stylistic considerations - Space and composition in Byzantine painting: scale, proportion and perspective.
Keywords
Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine painting, Aesthetics of Byzantine Art
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Multimedia
- Interactive excersises
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Laboratory Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
Description
Use of audio-visual tools in the process of teaching (powerpoint presentations).
Supplementary material and additional data on E-learning platform.
Use of audio-visual material on the web.
Communication and research counseling through e-mails and zoom.
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 39 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Fieldwork | 20 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Reading Assigment | 90 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Field trips and participation in conferences / seminars / activities | 21 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Written assigments | 80 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Total | 250 |
Student Assessment
Description
- Participation in the course meetings and preparation of the assigned material (30% of the final grade).
- Written assignment on a topic related to the course. The topics will be announced on the webpage on E-learning platform. The written assignment must conform to the rules of a written essay as they are described in the E-learning platform (70% of the final grade)
Student Assessment methods
- Written Assignment (Formative, Summative)
- Performance / Staging (Formative, Summative)
Bibliography
Additional bibliography for study
Α. Αlpago-Novello, Γ. Δημητροκάλλης, Η βυζαντινή τέχνη στην Ελλάδα, Αθήνα 1995.
Γ. ΖΩΓΡΑΦΙΔΗΣ, Βυζαντινή φιλοσοφία της εικόνας. Μια ανάγνωση του Ιωάννη Δαμασκηνού, Αθήνα 1997.
Κ. ΛΟΥΔΟΒΙΚΟΣ, Περί εικονογραφικής ιεραρχίας, Αθήνα 2004.
Π. Α. ΜΙΧΕΛΗΣ, Αισθητική θεώρηση της Βυζαντινής Τέχνης, εκδ. Ίδρυμα Παναγιώτη και Έφης Μιχελή (η΄ έκδοση), Αθήνα 2015.
Κ. ΜΠΑΡΟΥΤΑΣ, Το πρόβλημα της ελευθερίας στη βυζαντινή τέχνη, Αθήνα 2002.
V. BYCHKOV, Βυζαντινή Αισθητική. Θεωρητικά προβλήματα, Αθήνα 1999.
Ν. ΠΑΝΣΕΛΗΝΟΥ, Βυζαντινή Ζωγραφική. Η βυζαντινή κοινωνία και οι εικόνες της, Αθήνα 2000.
Ι. ΠΟΤΑΜΙΑΝΟΣ, Το Φως στη βυζαντινή εκκλησία, Θεσσαλονίκη 2000.
Σ. ΤΡΙΑΝΤΑΡΗ-ΜΑΡΑ, Η έννοια του κάλλους στο Διονύσιο Αρεοπαγίτη. Θεωρητική προσέγγιση της βυζαντινής τέχνης, Θεσσαλονίκη 20002.
Α. ΤΑΝΤΣΗΣ, Η αρχιτεκτονική σύνθεση στο Βυζάντιο, Θεσσαλονίκη 2012.
Ε. ΧΑΤΖΗΤΡΥΦΩΝΟΣ / S. CURCIC (επιμ.), Η Αρχιτεκτονική ως Εικόνα (κατάλογος έκθεσης - Μουσείο Βυζαντινού Πολιτισμού), Θεσσαλονίκη 2009.
R. CORMACK, Writing in Gold. Byzantine Society and its Icons, London 1985.
N. CVIJETIC / M. VASILJEVIC (ed.), Seeing the Invisible. Proceedings of the Symposium on Aesthetics of the Christian Image (Stanford University, March 5, 2016), Alhambra 2016.
L. JAMES, Light and Colour in Byzantine Art, Oxford 1996.
H. MAGUIRE, Art and Eloquence, New Jersey 1981.
C. MANGO, The Art of the Byzantine Empire 312-1453, Toronto-Buffalo-London 1986.
K. MARSENGILL, Portraits and Icons. Between Reality and Spirituality in Byzantine Art, Turnhout 2013.
L. SAFRAN (ed.), Heaven on Earth. Art and the Church in Byzantium, University Park-Pennsylvania 1998.
C.A. TSAKIRIDOU, Icons in Time, Persons in Eternity. Orthodox Theology and the Aesthetics of the Christian Image, Surrey-Burlington 2013.
C. WALTER, Art and Ritual of the Byzantine Church, London 1982.
Last Update
29-08-2023
