Wow, thanks for the above.....interesting.




BRUCE: No pea-shooting intended. But how abstract must an image be before a mental image or art becomes a symbol?

I remember a thread last year of someone asking about the Lion in the CS Lewis movie if it were idolatry since it was an image - or at least a symbol - of Christ.

When early Christians drew a fish, they were drawing a representation of Christ, even if abstract, rigth? Does this mean that a realistic painting cannot be done, but perhaps a Picasso type representation of Christ can be done?

What level of abstraction marks the difference between a picture and a symbol? Is a stick figure on a cross idolatry?


What about a Reformed children's book I saw. It drew a white outline in the shape of Jesus's body. Instead of picturing a man dividing fish's and loaves, a weird white outline was holding the fish. Isn't this also a representation?



I agree with Edward's above that an essential part of imagination is mental imagery. Add this to the descriptions of Jesus's actions and even his white woolen hair and the Bible encourages this sin of mentally imagining Jesus.



It appears rather that the forbidding of idols (to bow down to) was the idea behind the 2nd commandment.

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"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone