Liturgical Phenomenology of the Christian Art: Sacred Music, Iconography and Liturgical Text in the Regulations of the Ecumenical Councils and the Textimony of the Fathers

Abstract

Litururgical Phenomenology of the Christian Art: Sacred Music, Iconography and Liturgical Text in the Regulations of the Ecumenical Councils and the Witness of the Fathers. The study and interpretation of the liturgical codes of the Orthodox Church help us understand the influence of Orthodox Credo and the teachings of the Holy Fathers on Christian art—sacred music, iconography, and liturgical texts. The depth of meaning in Christian art has been revealed through the theological foundation of the Credo. In the first millennium of Church history, the principle of the correlation and correspondence of lex orandi (the law of prayer), lex credendi (the law of belief), and lex vivendi (the law of living) is highlighted. The theology of the Fathers, starting with lex orandi through liturgical and canonical ecclesiastical methodology and practice, was reflected in the second millennium theologians' emphasis on lex credendi, fostering the hope of developing Christian life according to Christ's commandments as lex vivendi. This interaction ensures that the law of prayer establishes the law of faith in our lives (ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi). I would like to present my view that the diffusion and application of the Church’s doctrine, as articulated in the Creed of the Ecumenical Councils, has been expressed through a new liturgical style in texts from Christian art—hymnography, musical compositions, and liturgical texts—from the 4th to the 11th centuries. This analysis reveals the methods of popularizing the Creed within the traditions of painting, singing, and liturgical texts, offering insights into the rationalization of liturgical life.