Icons of Resilience: Theosis as Social Holiness in an Emerging Anglican Theology of Iconographic Practice

Introduction: This paper seeks to articulate an emerging Anglican theology of iconographic practice in three parts. First, I will examine the historical shift in Anglican approaches to icon veneration in the modern era, charting the changing attitudes toward Orthodoxy (as a whole) and iconography (in particular) from 1888-2020, chiefly through the work of the  International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue. Next, I will engage in what may be the clearest articulation of an Anglican theology of the icon, through an exploration of three of Rowan Williams's early 2000’s "Icon" texts (Lost Icons, Ponder These Things, and  Dwelling in the Light). Williams, an Anglican scholar and bishop who has drawn deeply from the well of Orthodoxy for most of his theological career, conveys in these works the tension between traditionally Orthodox and innovatively Anglican approaches to the icon. Finally, I will provide a case study that exemplifies this emerging Anglican theology of iconographic practice, by examining the history and use of a trio of "Icons of Resilience" commissioned for, and used within, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in NYC. In short, I will argue that while traditional Orthodox devotion to icons is grounded in a mystagogical approach to theosis, contemporary Anglican approaches to Orthodox and Orthodox-style icons seek to engage the icon for something akin to social holiness. Historical Shifts: The first third of the paper traces the shifting attitudes towards icons and iconography within Anglicanism from the resolutions of the Lambeth Conference in 1888 (which openly cited the veneration of icons as a barrier to further ecumenical relationships between the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican Churches), to the increasingly pro-iconographic stance of Anglicans reflected in the five successive "Agreed Statements" (Moscow, Dublin, Cyprus, Buffalo, and Canterbury) of the International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue. Icons, in these documents, move from being a possible stumbling block to ecumenism (1976), to a shared ground for worship and practice (1984), to a metaphorical and analogical tool that helps to unpack the nature of the incarnation, the Trinity, and theological language writ large (2000, 2014). Rowan Williams's Influence: This trajectory of ecumenical agreement coincides with the increasing presence of Orthodox icons in Anglican Churches and an increased attention given to Orthodox sources and themes in both popular and academic Anglican theology. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the work of former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, whose career has been characterized by a decades-long interest in Eastern Orthodox theology and practice. The second part of this paper will explore the Eastern influences in Williams's thought (citing his doctoral work on Lossky, the importance of Dostoevsky and other Eastern authors and poets to his more prosaic work, and his three popular books on Icons from the early 2000s). Through this survey, I hope to surface a distinctively Anglican approach to icons and iconography which, though similar to Eastern Orthodoxy in its incarnational and Christological understanding of the icon, often results in a different (perhaps more justice-oriented) understanding of theosis/deification, which may be akin to what Anglican priest John Wesley would have called "social holiness". Case Study: Icons of Resilience: By way of conclusion, I will offer an analysis of a case study of three "Icons of Resilience" which over the past 30 years were commissioned for, and engaged within the liturgical life of, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd of the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City. A trio of icons - depicting Alexander Crummell, Florence Li Tim-Oi, and Pauli Murray - flank the sides of the chancel steps in the Seminary’s Chapel. Each of these figures, all of whom share a relationship with the Seminary, convey stories of resilience in the face of what for all three were ministries mired in ecclesiastically sanctioned systems of oppression and marginalization. Alexander Crummell, one of the first Episcopal priests of African descent, was denied admission to General Seminary in the 1830s on account of his race. Florence Li Tim-Oi, who was the first woman ordained to the priesthood in the Anglican Communion in 1944,  received an honorary doctorate from General Seminary 1987.  Though a pathmaker for women's ordination, for most of Li Tim-Oi’s life she was barred from exercising a priestly ministry, first through the intervention of William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury) and then through forced suppression by the Chinese Communist regime. Pauli Murray, a significant figure in the US fight for Civil Rights, studied at General in the 1970s and was the first black queer woman ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. However, Murray’s experiences at General were so challenging, they eventually left the Seminary and completed their degree through Virginia Theological Seminary. These iconic figures of resilience in the face of ecclesiastically located racism, misogyny, and toxic heteronormativity serve to both inspire future generations of seminarians by witness to their fortitude and perseverance and also guide the Seminary - as a whole - through its own regular (liturgically enshrined) process of remembrance and repentance, as its members seek to renew their commitment to baptismal vows which promise to  “respect the dignity of every human being.” While these Icons of Resliance were written using the techniques, media, and style of traditional Eastern Orthodox Icons, in the life of the worshipping community of the Seminary, they reflect the strong link between justice and sanctification grounded in the institution’s liberal catholic ethos. Conclusion: The conclusion argues that while Anglicans may increasingly adopt and utilize Eastern Orthodox Icons, they do so in ways that - as one would expect - reflect the unique theological charism of Anglicanism.  Though much is shared in common between Orthodox and Anglican Christians (from a growing consensus on the Filioque clause to the role played by the Spirit in the Eucharist), the uniquely Anglican interpretation and appropriation of the sacred medium of iconography, can be shown to link deification/theosis with social holiness.