Clergy Comments: First Review of Early Icons

Hear What A Priest Has To Say About The Upcoming Book

I’m happy to announce that writing is completed, and I have sent my manuscript of the first volume of my Early Icons book to several people for review and comment.

A priest friend of mine, Fr. Joseph Thornburg, is the first to review it and offer his thoughts. With his permission I’ve posted what he has to say:

Your arguments for distinguishing idolatry and veneration were quite clear and well-argued. I can walk away from this text knowing clearly what pagan idolatry looked like, what Christians were arguing against and that Christian artistic veneration, not only existed, but how it was expressed. 

There is certainly a temptation that many a-historical Protestant Christian have in claiming “look at this pagan practice and look how the Christian practice mirrored it. Obviously it was influenced by paganism and therefore, we should reject it.” You laid those thoughts to rest with illustrative observations and clear argumentation. What you do with this text is give the reader very helpful background and context on how images were used in the ancient Roman pagan idolatry. Armed with that information the reader can be enlightened about the image-practices in the world that Christianity arose in, and further, how Christians transformed them into proper use and veneration (never getting those worlds confused). 

The scriptural examples and evidence you provide from Joseph to Moses to David to Luke are safely executed and I found nothing in them that was off-base. 

Overall, Early Icons text provides what the other side did not, a balanced and informed view. Far from maintaining that Ortlund and company are just wrong, the text is honest in its investigation of the evidence. The book considers ancient pagan context and relevant Christian writers from that time. It is bolstered by cultural, scriptural and architectural evidence. It expands the conversation on ancient veneration to include many forms and expressions. That icons in their contemporary expression and veneration did not exist is beyond the point. From Dionysian commemorative drinking cups to the American flag, you show that it is a human thing to venerate and keep sacred objects. However, we see in Christianity, as you argue so well, proper Christian image illumination and veneration. 

In terms of tone, it is decisively not cocky or dismissive and certainly not hostile. You take Ortlund’s claims and bring them to task in a well-mannered and respectful tone. 

Tightly argued, respectfully presented, and historically informed (with beautiful images to boot!) this book shall surely silence any glib statements from those who say icon veneration is an accretion. 

Please pray for the final stages of editing with the text. I also hope to share additional comments from a scholar of early Christian art who I’ve shared the manuscript with. Stay tuned for a publication update in the coming weeks!

—Michael Garten