Picha takatifu

Picha takatifu (pia "ikona" kutoka Kigiriki εἰκών, eikōn "picha" kwa kupitia Kiingereza icon) kwa kawaida ni mchoro unaoheshimiwa kidini hasa katika Ukristo wa Mashariki lakini pia katika madhehebu mbalimbali ya Ukristo wa Magharibi, kama vile Kanisa la Kilatini.  

Mara nyingi picha hizo zinamhusu Yesu, Bikira Maria, watakatifu wengine, malaika na msalaba. 

"Sanaa ya Kikristo" inatajwa kwanza kati ya karne ya 2 na karne ya 3 katika maandishi ya Tertuliani (160 hivi - 220) na Klemens wa Aleksandria (150 hivi - 212).

Matumizi ya picha hizo yalipingwa na baadhi ya Wakristo, hasa wa mashariki, baada ya Uislamu kutokea na kuenea katika maeneo yao. Hapo kaisari Leo III wa dola la Roma Mashariki alikataza picha hizo ili kujilinganisha na Waislamu na kujenga uhusiano mzuri nao.

Kumbe wamonaki na Wakristo wengine wengi walipinga katazo hilo. Ndio mwanzo wa mabishano makubwa yasiyoishia katika hoja na maandishi, bali yalichukua uhai wa watu, hasa waliodhulumiwa na serikali. 

Hatimaye Mtaguso wa pili wa Nisea (787) ulithibitisha uhalali wa picha hizo na wa heshima ambazo zinapewa, kama ulivyotetewa hasa na mtakatifu Mwarabu Yohane wa Damasko.

Pamoja na kwamba picha takatifu zinasema na mioyo ya waamini wanyofu, mara nyingi utaalamu wa ikonografia unahitajika hasa katika kufafanua picha takatifu za Ukristo wa Mashariki, kwa kuwa hizo hazilengi kuiga sura halisi zinavyoonekana na macho, bali kudokeza mafumbo ya imani ili kuona yasiyoonekana.

Tanbihi

Marejeo
Beckwith, John, Early Christian and Byzantine Art, Penguin History of Art (now Yale), 2nd edn. 1979, ISBN 0-14-056033-5

Marejeo mengine

 Viungo vya nje 

 Waorthodoksi 
Orthodox Iconography by Elias Damianakis
A Discourse in Iconography by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco 
The Iconic and Symbolic in Orthodox Iconography
Icon & worship - Icons of Karakallou Monastery, Mt.Athos 
Contemporary Byzantine icon studio, iconography school and orthodox resources 
Iconography Guide -free eLearning site 
Orthodox iconography by Fr. Theodore Koufos 
On the difference of Western Religious Art and Orthodox Iconography 
Church of the Nativity - Explanation of Orthodox Christian Icons
Concerning the Veneration of Icons
Holy Icons: Theology in Color (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese)
Icons by Sergei Fyodorov

 Wakatoliki 
"Veneration of Images" article from The Catholic Encyclopedia
Age of spirituality : late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Picha 
Icons of Mount Athos
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Icons
Gallery of icons, murals and mosaics (mostly Russian) from 11th to 20th century
www.eikonografos.com A huge collection of Byzantine Icons
Contemporary Orthodox Byzantine style murals. Large gallery. 

Category:Ukristo
Category:Waorthodoksi
Category:Sanaa
Category:Teolojia
Category:Liturujia