Can someone explain to me the theology behind statues?

[marigold]

Can someone explain to me the theology behind statues?

Thanks!

[Luigi]

I doubt there is an actual theology of statues, but here are a couple of considerations:

- Art, including statues, is a form of communication. Art can proclaim the word of God by representing various Bible stories, theological concepts, virtues, etc.

- In a time when most people were illiterate, art was not just a way to proclaim the gospel, it was a good way. The Dominicans have a long and strong tradition of art-as-preaching, including people like Fra Angelico and Lippo Lippi (better artist than Dominican, but nonetheless...) during the Renaissance up to the present.

- Looking at a statue, fresco, painting, or other work of art can be a stimulus to meditation on Bible stories, theological concepts, virtues, etc.

- The Roman and Eastern churches have always condoned art in church; the Jews never did, considering it a form of idolatry. The Christian churches of-and-after the Reformation sanctioned or condoned art in church sort of proportionally to how far they removed themselves from the Roman church. In other words, the Anglicans and Episcopalians didn't remove themselves very far from Rome, and they retained art in church; on the other hand, the Puritans (who wanted to purify the church of all traces of Roman influence) rejected art in church absolutely.

 

Discuss amongst y'selves.

[CatherineM]

I've got a nice picture of my Dad and his military medals on my desk.  I don't have it because I worship it.  I have it to remind me of someone I want to emulate.  I know every medal he received, so I don't need the visible reminder except to remind me of what a great man he was, and the things about him that I hope to be worthy of doing myself should the need arise. 

I have pictures of saints too.  St. Patrick's, as an example, has a picture of snakes and shamrocks.  That reminds me of his evangelization to my ancestors, how hard it was (snakes), and how we need to meet people where they are and explain complicated issues in a way that people can best understand (shamrocks).  The statues in our homes and parishes are to remind us that there are people in heaven.  That means there is a heaven, that if we live our lives by the example the saints have given us, then we can end up in heaven too.  If they did it, then we are all capable of it.  It also reminds me that I will see those again who have gone before me.  Praying before a statue isn't any different than me looking at my Dad's picture and asking him to put in a good word for me because today is going to be a hard day.

[Luigi]

I also find an interesting connection between literacy and art. The Roman church's long tradition of visual representations addressed the lack of literacy in the general population from Roman times, through the fall of the Roman empire and the ensuing Dark Ages (it's no longer called that very often, but part of the 'darkness' was the general lack of literacy), then the Renaissance. With the Renaissance, literacy began to increase & spread. The printing press was invented at approximately the same time as the Reformation began. The first book printed and widely distributed was the Bible - and printing the Bible would have been pointless except that literacy was increasing. Among the reformers, literacy (which is a kind of visual representation of language) then replaced art (the visual representation of actions or persons).

[MarysLittleFlower]

Marigold, do you perhaps mean statues partcularly as distinguished from icons or paintings? Its probably just some East / West difference and I'm not sure if there's a particular theological reason, but I haven't studied this in detail. One idea I heard before was that statues remind us that the Saints are close to us spiritually, like we are surrounded by the Angels and Saints. While icons give the impression of looking into Heaven, while at the same time it opens to us.

Both express different things and both are used in the Catholic Church one of my favourite icons is Our Mother of Perpetual Help and in a church I often go to, its above a beautiful statue of the Pieta. The Pieta is like being present at the Crucifixion and the icon is like Our Lady looking at us from Heaven. Lol that is my very non theological view of it but I think each type of art tries to express something different perhaps.

The Council of Trent spoke about what religious images should be like because at the time there was too much experimentation that made the paintings unclear and not moving spiritually... I think my art prof mentioned Mannerism as an example of this. Council of Trent said they should be clear, with a real focus and moving to the viewer (like to holy thoughts)... There's probably more I forgot. Subject matter was also specified. Counter Reformation Catholic art had some great pieces during that time as a result. 

Edited July 14, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[MarysLittleFlower]

I tried researching the topic and most sources only talk about why Catholics don't worship statues... Rather than the theology of having statues. The only thing I found was on Wikipedia, that said that religious statues only started appearing in places with no memory of pagan statues, for example Carolingian art: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_art 

 Maybe that's why we don't see them earlier when the pagan religions were more prominent. (To avoid confusion to the new converts perhaps).

Of course later the statues spread to other lands as well. This is Wikipedia of course and not  proper scholarly source it also talks more about the history than the theology. Looking more into Carolingian art, they seemed to try and restore a sense of space even in paintings.

Maybe statues came from that. I'm not sure if the reason was theological or historical.. Their statues were figurative rather than completely realistic as well. Sorry maybe someone else knows more about the theology! It could be simply that statues try to express that Our Lord, Our Blessed Mother and the Saints are close to us by placing them as if they were 3D figures around the church. Kind of like we participate in Heavenly worship during Mass so we are present with them spiritually.

Also if the statue is a Crucifix or the Pieta (or the Stations of the Cross) that could help to meditate in terms of relating to it in a sort of "immediate" way (of course nor truly immediate cause they're statues). It could also be a reminder that Our Lord took a real physical body by presenting Him in a three dimensional way. Of course this is all speculation as I found nothing in researching it!

(While on the topic it might be interesting to read about this miraculous crucifix in Spain: http://www.miraclesofthechurch.com/2010/10/miraculous-crucifix-of-limpias-jesus.html?m=1 )

 

Edited July 14, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower