Seeing the Unseen: The Unorthodox Imagery of God the Father in Orthodox Iconography
Join our Research Intern Nadim Al Nakhl for a special lecture, concluding his work at the Icon Museum and Study Center focusing on depictions of God the Father found in the Russian Icons in the Museum’s collection. This lecture will be offered as a free hybrid program. To register virtually, please use the link below.
Nadim’s talk offers a focused look at one of the most striking tensions in Eastern Christian visual culture. The iconography of God the Father was often treated as theologically improper because the Father is invisible and uncircumscribed, yet such images continued to be painted, defended, and venerated across Orthodox iconography. Drawing on studies of canonical and non-canonical Trinity imagery, the presentation traces how artists and patrons negotiated that boundary through icons like the Ancient of Days, Paternitas, and the New Testament Trinity. It also considers why these images persisted despite synodal prohibitions and strong theological objections, becoming embedded in devotional practice and regional iconographic traditions. Nadim argues that Orthodox iconography is not as rigid in doctrine as it might seem, and that “unorthodox” images are venerated and revered.
Nadim is a PhD candidate at McMaster University. His dissertation subject focuses on the effects of the Melkite Schism of 1724 on the iconography of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the Levant.
Clinton, MA 01510 United States
Join our Research Intern Nadim Al Nakhl for a special lecture, concluding his work at the Icon Museum and Study Center focusing on depictions of God the Father found in the Russian Icons in the Museum’s collection. This lecture will be offered as a free hybrid program. To register virtually, please use the link below.
Nadim’s talk offers a focused look at one of the most striking tensions in Eastern Christian visual culture. The iconography of God the Father was often treated as theologically improper because the Father is invisible and uncircumscribed, yet such images continued to be painted, defended, and venerated across Orthodox iconography. Drawing on studies of canonical and non-canonical Trinity imagery, the presentation traces how artists and patrons negotiated that boundary through icons like the Ancient of Days, Paternitas, and the New Testament Trinity. It also considers why these images persisted despite synodal prohibitions and strong theological objections, becoming embedded in devotional practice and regional iconographic traditions. Nadim argues that Orthodox iconography is not as rigid in doctrine as it might seem, and that “unorthodox” images are venerated and revered.
Nadim is a PhD candidate at McMaster University. His dissertation subject focuses on the effects of the Melkite Schism of 1724 on the iconography of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the Levant.