Philip Sherrard

This article by Philip Sherrard, translated and adapted by Olivier Clément, offers an in-depth study of the nature and function of the icon in the Orthodox tradition. Taking as its starting point the contemporary popularization of the icon, the author demonstrates the limitations of a purely aesthetic or historical approach. The central idea is that the icon can only be understood within the liturgical totality of the Church: essentially a liturgical art form, it expresses and communicates the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Transfiguration, and prepares the faithful for eucharistic participation. The article then analyzes the iconographic program of the Orthodox church as an image of the universe and of the inner man, before examining the formal canons that govern the creation of icons. The theological contribution lies in the articulation between iconographic form, christological dogma, and the spiritual life of the iconographer.