Eidolons and Eikons

A thread

These are just the fancy greek terms for what we know as idols and icons.

Throughout Christian history and theology, one will always come across these two terms. The idol is to be avoided, and the icon to be viewed.

In certain particular heterodox sects, the icon is always an idol.

Nevertheless throughout all various degrees of Christianity, the idol is always considered to be an enemy; the foreign and strange god set up against the One Triune God.

But we will be speaking from a orthodox, Catholic view regarding the idol and the icon.

What, then, separates the idol from the icon? How is an object identified as an idol vs an icon? And how can an icon become an idol?

And why does an idol never become an icon unless by divine intervention?

Firstly, the idol is always understood as the strange and foreign god which deserves no reverence of any kind. It is unworthy of praise, though it demands praise.

The icon does not demand praise, and wherein it does receive praise casts it elsewhere--to the object worthy of it.

Herein we notice the distinction: the idol is self-centered. All things are oriented to it in an unworthy manner.

Casually speaking from the spirit of Christianity, we make idols of money, sex, property, etc.

These are our worlds to which all things, including our very self, are to be oriented around. They are the highest priority for which everything else must be scarified for.

*sacrificed

Contrary to this in a 180 degree manner, when icons are given notice, praise, reverence, etc., such things are directed not toward the icon itself but towards some 'other.' The end of the icon is not itself, but something outside of itself.

In common discourse, the icon is symbolic notion. It does not point to itself but to something else. The icon is not itself but represents something else. The painting of a pipe is not the pipe itself, but represents the pipe. We do not smoke a painting, but we smoke a pipe.

As such, the icon always directs the viewer elsewhere, to the appropriate object worthy of attention. The saints qua saints act as icons, as paintings act as icons, and as statues act as icons.

This is to say, any attention given to the saint does not end with the saint, but is directed to God; the painting directs the attention to what is painted; the statue to what was memorialized.

Similarily, the icon is always giving. The icon can be channeled through various other icons for its further, more remote, end.

The statue of St. Paul represents the real St. Paul who glorifies God.

The icon simply does not end there. We see this even within the unity of the Trinity.

As Christ declares, "No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Further, the flesh and blood of Christ itself is also a kind of icon, pointing to the divinity of Christ paradoxically by His death.

St. Thomas the apostle did not see the divinity directly, but beheld Christ in flesh and blood and cried, "My Lord and My God!"

But now we might ask, does an icon always stay an icon an icon? And the answer is no.

The icon can degrade into an idol; either by itself or by the viewer. What once was holy can be made diabolic by man., and what was once providentially declared to be, can choose to not be.

Firstly, we see this degradation with the serpent staff of Moses. A holy object that acted as an icon in healing the sick.

But later on it was made into an idol by its viewers.

Secondly, as all things in creation were made to glorify God, we are providentially called to be manifestations of such.

However by sin we effectively choose to not be this manifestation.

This is clearly shown in the father of lies, satan. Known as the brightest of the angels, perhaps the most beautiful in all of creation, he cast down his role and thus himself. He desired to be like God, and so made himself into an idol.

Now these next section of tweets are my own opinion and do not, explicitly, come from any traditional source; however, I believe them to be implicit.

We next answer whether an idol can be turned into an icon in some manner? And we may say yes, this is possible.

For an idol to be turned into 'a kind of icon' it must be transformed in such a manner that the object no longer points to itself, but towards some other, some other that is worthy of said attention.

In dealing with this, we must deal with the greatest of idols, the devil, in order to make sense of it. How then can the devil be made a kind of "icon" when he is clearly an idol by and through himself?

In such respect, no natural means can overcome such idolization. Only supernatural means can overcome it. And it is by these supernatural means that we do.

The first we notice in biblical story telling.

Wherever Satan appears, God is not far behind.

The serpent showed itself to Adam and Eve, and God followed thereafter.

The Hebrews worshipped strange gods, but God revealed Himself.

When men were possessed by demons, Christ came to cast them out.

At the end of days, when the anti-christ takes control of the world, Christ appears to overthrow him.

The Divine Drama of the eidolon and eikon is one of upheavel, and it is always one-sided.

The idol has made its way into the world, only to be overshadowed by the icon.

From both a practical and highly theological perspective, demons are on a short leash, and God only allows them to roam so that He will then come to defeat them. They are only allowed in places so that God can manifest His powers to us.

In this sense, God transforms the devils into icons of His power.

All who have been possessed by demons, once Christ enters the picture, become significantly better for it.

And by and through this? The demons are humiliated. They are shunned. They weep in despair. They are forced to fight and forced to lose. It is a humiliation from beginning to end.

God does not play dice. All things are within His power, even those who oppose Him.

Likewise we may speak of more common or mundane transformations of the idol into icon.

The world, money, power, etc., can all be turned into an icon, but not by our natural powers. Only through supernatural powers. And this is known as grace.

It is through grace that we see the world as the manifestation of God, that we see money as a means of alms and libation, that we see power as moral duty-- that we see the most mundane idol, our very self, turned into a saint, turned into an icon.

/end thread