The Visual Word

Recently we completed a Bible study series on the topic of Christian symbolism. We focused especially on how the Christian church has used symbolism to convey the stories and teachings of God’s Word in a visual way.

Throughout the history of the Christian church, the “sign language of the faith” has been depicted in a variety of ways and could easily be described as “The Visual Word”. (My little daughter proved that to me when she looked at my opening PowerPoint slide and promptly pointed out how many crosses there were and who was on the cross.)

To illustrate this point, I used a photo (right) of Lucas Cranach the Younger’s altarpiece from St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Weimar, Germany to illustrate how justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone can be taught in a visual way. From there we journeyed into the fascinating realm of Christian symbolism (which is a far broader topic than we were able to cover in only two weeks of Sunday Bible study!).

(By the way, Rev. Paul McCain has put together a great site devoted to the history and explanation of the Cranach altarpiece. I recommend checking it out!)

Symbolism has played an integral role in the worship life of the Christian church from her earliest years down to the present day. You see it primarily in the art and architecture of a church, whether it was carvings of the fish (ΙΧΘΥΣ) and Good Shepherd in the catacombs to the revival of triptychs, the crucifix and Paschal candles near prominent baptismal fonts in Lutheran churches built this decade.

(Check out details and more about the home of the tryptich to the left – Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Antioch, IL, built in 2005! You can also click on the picture to see an enlarged version.)

Symbolism plays an integral role in the worship life of the Church as the colors and symbols and rites of the Christian church year rotate and change throughout the year, while some symbols like the cross or the monograms of Christ (like the Chi-Rho or the ΙΗΣ) never change.

In the study, we cleared the misconception that Lutherans avoid symbols altogether because “they’re too Catholic”. We simply looked at the symbolism in our own altar area (click on the picture to see what I mean!). We were reminded that Luther didn’t “throw the baby out with the bathwater” when he reformed the Mass or when he established basic principles for Lutheran worship or church architecture. As an example, here’s a link to an altar “inherited” by Martin Chemnitz’ congregation in Braunschweig, Germany. (Thanks, Paul, for the picture! My students were quite impressed.) Besides all that, about 95+% of the symbolism we examined came from Lutheran churches all over the Midwest and Northeast, both young and old!

Of course, being a Lutheran study of Christian symbolism, we also emphasized what is clearly NOT symbolism–the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. I found it particularly interesting that with greater emphasis on the use and power of the Means of Grace (Gospel in Word and Sacraments) came richer symbolism in church art and architecture. Especially in many Lutheran congregations older than 75 years old, you will find rich symbolism in the windows and the altarpieces and even carved into the pews and doors! St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jefferson, WI is a classic example of this. Click on the picture and try to count how many different symbols can be found just around the altar! (My apologies for the wash-out in the windows!) Architecture reflects theology!

On the other hand, you find the exact opposite from colonial “meeting halls” to modern-day Evangelical megachurches (such as Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI to the left). These churches could be best described as “sterile”, “plain”, “bare” or even “devoid of meaning”, which likely goes hand-in-hand with their de-emphasizing, representational view of the Sacraments.

Architecture truly does reflect theology!

With that in mind, how sad to see the anti-symbolism of the Evangelical/Reformed camp mixed with an unhealthy dose of American pragmatism in the architecture of many Lutheran churches built within the last 50 years or so! What does the architecture of your church tell you about its theology? Does it reflect it well? What does your architecture “proclaim” to the community?

I’ve noticed, though, recently in many cases in my own church body, the barebones WEF (Worship/Education/Fellowship) units, the cookie cutter churches and the odd monstrosities of modernist architecture are being replaced with beautiful temples to our gracious Lord rich once again with Christian symbolism, much like the beautiful churches from the late 19th and early 20th centuries or even earlier (like Faith in Antioch mentioned above). On the one hand more care and concern is being taken to connect the 21st Century Lutheran church with the rich history of the Christian church and to display that in our church art and architecture, particularly among the newer churches being built. At the same time, however, many still want to clear the symbolism from our Lutheran church buildings. The role of Christian symbolism in the worship life of the Christian church is truly a topic worthy of more discussion!

In the end, though, why use Christian symbolism? If we are going to use it, (to paraphrase the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV), “All symbolism in worship should serve the purpose of teaching the people what they need to know about Christ.” We need to ask, “How can we use this to teach people what they need to know about Christ?” As our society becomes more visual and less literate, I think the use of rich and understandable Christian symbolism becomes all the more important. If carried out properly and well, such symbolism can give real depth to the worship lives of our people and to help them better understand the wonderful truths of God’s Word.

Christian symbolism is a fascinating area of the Christian’s worship life that isn’t often considered. Much of our study at Cross of Christ could’ve been considered “Show and Tell”, but, God-willing, it enhanced the worship lives of those who attended. Over the past three years, I’ve collected hundreds of pictures of church art and architecture toting my camera along wherever I and/or my wife have visited. It’s really a fun hobby to have! (Plus, if the Lord someday allows our mission congregation to get out of our own WEF unit and build a new sanctuary, I want to have some ideas in the hopper!)

For your own study or for use in a Bible study, here are a couple resources I recommend:

• Symbols in Christian Art and Architecture (Though not a Lutheran site, it provides graphics and explanations for hundreds of Christian symbols. It really came in handy for the Bible study.)

• Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church (2nd Edition) (I personally own the 1st Edition, but I’m guessing that edition will likely get phased out when the 2nd is released. Besides an excellent section on the role of art in Lutheran worship, this book was recommended to us in our worship classes at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. I purchased my copy the day we graduated. Since then, I would have to agree with that recommendation in class as I’ve found the book very useful in my own ministry.)

• Any resources you might recommend? (Please feel free to submit them via the comment box below!)