چکیده:
Since religious rituals and rites are the first thing an external observer comes into contact with, researchers of religious studies consider them to be the most important manifestation of religion. In Christianity as well, rituals, and specifically the Eucharist and Baptism, hold a special place. In Orthodox theology, by distinguishing 'verbal' elements and components of rituals from 'non-verbal' elements, special emphasis is placed on the importance of icons. Likewise, icons, as a venue for godliness and divinization, are considered an inseparable part of the theology and rituals of the Orthodox Church. In this article, an attempt has been made to examine and explain the Orthodox Church's interpretation of icons and their function as symbols with spiritual content. The main goal of performing rituals in this church is to become like God and Christ, and to attain godliness. This teaching, as a fundamental principle of the theology and mysticism of the Eastern Orthodox Church and their point of distinction, means reaching divine union and receiving the gift of divine likeness.
خلاصه ماشینی:
The symbolic characteristics of church rites are a reminder of the sanctification of human life, which is achieved through participation and empathy in the church and presence in ceremonies of supplication and prayer, whereby the individual undergoes a spiritual transformation and becomes sanctified through divine grace and gift.
2. Icons, Their Theological Importance and Function In the extensive history of Christianity, the depiction of images in various styles, belonging to different times and places, and based on the Holy Bible and prayer books, has played a significant role in teaching new believers and in the sermon sessions of scholars and Church Fathers.
Verbal elements such as the reading of the Holy Bible, prayer, supplication, and sermon, the use of melodic sounds and the chanting of religious hymns, and non-verbal elements such as special garments for conducting rites, acts of worship, and especially icons, are very effective in evoking spiritual meanings in Christian believers and in their accompaniment and harmony with the rites and rituals.
According to the belief of Orthodox Christians, the sanctification of icons is not merely a ritual formality devoid of content, but rather expresses a fundamental concept in Christianity that has been preserved with great intensity and vigor in the Eastern Church, providing the means for a direct and intimate connection between man and God; that is the doctrine of the Incarnation, which is clearly evident in the prayer rites of the church.
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