Origen i simvolizam u Liturgiji - učenje znamenitog Aleksandrijca o crkvenoj umetnosti

Abstract

The present paper aims to examine the relation between Liturgy as a service which is imbued with symbolism (and all kinds of art) and one typically spiritual view of communion with God. How could we reconcile Christian spirituality and liturgical symbolism? What is the view of Origen about liturgical symbolism? There are some opinions in academic research connecting Origen with iconoclastic beliefs in the Church. According to these opinions, Origen's concept of absolutely incorporeal God and the irreconcilable relation between spiritual and physical substances had influence on the repudiation of icons in Church in later times. In general, Origen's concept of God, human being and salvation formed one specific context for the theological understanding of human salvation and communion with God. With regard to this presumption, we will try to analyze it through the following steps. At first, we try to define the concept of body and material reality in Origen's ontology, as well as to contrast it to soul and spirit, which are largely emphasized in all his exegetical and other reflections. The second step is to try to reconstruct insights of Origen about symbols and icons in Liturgy. There is no complete exposition on this topic in his writings, but implicitly there is a possibility to investigate his teaching about icon and symbols. Here we take into consideration the idea of Christ as the icon of the invisible Father. Further, Origen mentions the concept of icon when he speaks about the difference between corporeal and spiritual man.