Art and Symbols as A Communication of Faith in The History of Ethiopian Orthodox Church
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Date
2005
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
With time, the term "art" has become to mean more than drawing and
painting. To our understanding it has come to encompass a variety of expressive
fields such as drama, theatre, music and much more. This fairly modern type of
inclusion has made it quite a challenge to easily define art. "Culture", as one would
expect, simply adds to the complexity. It is with this understanding and inborn
knowledge of the unique, complex artistic nature of Ethiopia, that it is not easy to
give a single definition as to what Ethiopian Art and Ethiopian Culture is. Instead in
this long essay I have tried to outline what I think are the most important
components of Christian Art in the History of Ethiopian Orthodox Church and it
communication aspect in delivering the faith to the young Generation of Ethiopia.
To do this, in the first chapter I am going to stress on the Historical back
ground of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia and the origin of Ethiopia Art. I am
going to show how Ethiopian Art developed together with the first Christian
evangelization. As many historian tells us that One of the most important events in
Ethiopian art history occurred around 330 A.D., when Ezana, the Aksumite ruler of
the highlands of northeastern Africa, accepted Christianity. This occurred not long
after the emperor Constantine declared Christianity a legal religion of the Roman
Empire. By 500 CA., the most sacred of Christian texts the Gospels had been
translated into Ethiopia, and the foundations of a Christian artistic tradition, setting
the course of artistic development in the region, had been firmly established. Pre- Christian Askurnite rulers celebrated their victories by setting up monumental
statues to the gods of heaven and earth. However, Ethiopia's Christian rulers
celebrated their majesty by building churches and endowing monasteries. The city of
Askum became symbolically the New Jerusalem, and the cathedral there was
dedicated to St. Mary of Zion. Therefore, all this points and other similar ideas will
be developed in the first chapter.
In the second chapter I will try to explain in a more specific way same of
Ethiopian Christina arts like painting, architectures, church music and Christian
symbols and their communication aspect in transmitting the faith to the next
generation. I will try to find out also those Ethiopian artists who manage to
communicate effectively the Gospel value and traditional worship though their great
artistic mind. When I speak of Ethiopian art mostly I refer to Ethiopian Orthodox
Church because the Church was one of the most significant pillars of Ethiopian
society. It developed the only significant fixed constructions monasteries and
churches of any importance for many years. So, in a sense, the fixed icons of
Ethiopian society were those provided either by the church, or by the ancient stel
(obelisks) of the Aksumite ruins. Therefore, the second chapter is more on the value
and communication aspect of those Christian arts in the church.
The third chapter is more on a pastoral concern of those Christian arts to day
in Ethiopia and young generation. I will try to give the current situation of that
traditional cultural heritage and the problem of young generations. In the last part of
the chapter I will mention the effort of church in keeping those cultural heritages and
how the church is communicating its faith to the young generation with arts and
symbols. I will also portray some of the things that the church didn't do in reaching the need young people and communicate effectively to them through its great
historical arts and symbols.
Therefore the aim of this long essay is to help the young generations of
Ethiopian to see and give values to their Christian cultural heritage and help them to
know how those Christian arts communicate faith and pass the message of the good
news. To help them to have respect, admiration, love and knowledge of their
orthodox church, not to consider the church as out of fashion, which is the model of
strong faith and rich tradition and
As a student of theology and communication my aim is also to show to those
young people and church leader how the church was communicating its faith
through out its past history starting from 4'h c even during the challenging time and
during attack from Muslims. So that, the church may open it eyes and learn from
the past and know how to communicate its traditional faith and Christian values to
the very challenging present generation with out changing its identity.
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Keywords
Art and Symbols, Communication, History of Ethiopian