1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910817101503321

Autore

Peers Glenn

Titolo

Subtle bodies : representing angels in Byzantium / / Glenn Peers

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Berkeley, : University of California Press, c2001

ISBN

9786612356308

0-520-92513-0

1-282-35630-5

1-59734-924-0

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (253 p.)

Collana

The transformation of the classical heritage ; ; 32

Disciplina

235/.3/088219

Soggetti

Iconoclasm - Byzantine Empire - History

Angels - Biblical teaching

Angels in art

Angels in literature

Church history - Middle Ages, 600-1500

Byzantine Empire Church history

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-230) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: On the Tension between Theology and Cult -- One. Issues in representing angels -- Two. Arguments against images of angels -- Three. Representing angels -- Four. The veneration of angels and their images -- Five. Apprehending the archangel Michael -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Throughout the course of Byzantine history, Christian doctrine taught that angels have a powerful place in cosmology. It also taught that angels were immaterial, bodiless, invisible beings. But if that were the case, how could they be visualized and depicted in icons and other works of art? This book describes the strategies used by Byzantine artists to represent the incorporeal forms of angels and the rationalizations in defense of their representations mustered by theologians in the face of iconoclastic opposition. Glenn Peers demonstrates that these problems of representation provide a unique



window on Late Antique thought in general.