Program and Abstracts

Shoulders: Dynamics of Power

Theodor Avramov  |  On-site

Although the image of “shoulders” rarely occupies a central place in biblical symbolism, it carries a surprisingly rich theological dynamism. I will try to trace the development of the image from Isaiah 9:6, through Luke 15:5, to the passion narratives, where bearing acquires dramatic and paradoxical density. Attention will be given to the transformation of power: from shoulders as emblems of political dominion to shoulders that carry the lost, suffering, and the cross, also from carrying and bearing to being carried. I will also explore the reception of this image in the Roman expansion of Christianity and if it was preserved, reinterpreted, or displaced as this understanding of bearing as a mode of authority, responsibility, and love.

From the Bones to the Innermost Parts as Topoi of Identity 

Raluca Boboc  |  On-site

Capitalizing the body in the corporeal metaphors of the Proverbs, a text whose theme is sapiential but whose flesh is thick with body metaphors, this study aims at exploring the role of the bones and of the innermost parts of the belly as identitary centers. Backed by arguments coming from cognitive research which confirm that literalization of a metaphor does not mean it does no longer influence thinking but rather on the contrary, it actually shapes it (Lakoff and Turner, 1999), I intend to discuss a number of occurances of the bones (ațamim) and inward parts of the belly (hadrei-beten) in proverbs, in order to discern the conception about them in relation to identity formation. The recurrence of these topoi of maximum intimacy of the human being has a particular preference in the proverbs for joining verbs and nouns from the saptiential semantic area. Thus, a reading of the bones and innermost parts, as vehicles and not as tenors of the corporeal metaphors, conjoined with terms pertaining to spiritual realities can yield unexpected insights into the meeting between the physical and the psychological and spiritual categories, revealing themselves as material images able to contain spiritual experiences and speaking wbout identity formation.

Between topos and tropos: the Heart in the Hymnography of the Menaia

Dragoș Boicu  |  On-site

An image frequently used in Christian hymnography is that of the heart – the seat of emotional activity, but especially of the rational faculty, as it appears described. Taking over certain valences used in Holy Scripture, Byzantine lyrical creations develop this motif of the heart by giving it several meanings. Since there are over a thousand occurrences of the heart in Byzantine Menaia, the present communication aims rather to list the main meanings and images. The second part of the presentation intends to dwell on two sets of images in which the heart is perceived both as a space or topos in which an activity intended to fundamentally change a person’s natural inclination takes place, and especially as a disposition of the soul or tropos, through which man positions himself towards divinity and authentic spiritual values.

Imagery of Ecclesial Identity: From the Shepherd of Hermas to Old Catholic Theology

Magdalena Burlacu  |  On-site

How do images contribute to the way early Christian texts articulate the identity of the Church? This paper proposes a model for interpreting ecclesiology through imagological matrices, understood as recurrent configurations of symbolic images that structure the textual representation and interpretation of the Church. Methodologically, the study employs conceptual metaphor theory as a heuristic analytical tool, in dialogue with imagology and a hermeneutics of tradition. The analysis focuses on The Shepherd of Hermas, where the Church appears through narrative visions and symbolic figures: the aged woman, the tower built of living stones, and the symbolism of the heart. Together these images form a symbolic grammar expressing memory, discernment, penitence, belonging, and communal construction. The study considers Hermas’s probable sources and selected patristic texts with comparable ecclesial imagery, noting several connections with Old Catholic theology. The model thus offers a hermeneutical alternative to static readings of the norma patrum.

Metaphor in Image: The Eye as a “Window to Eternity” in Christian Iconography

Ekaterina Damjanova  |  On-site

The present paper examines the significant role of the eyes in Christian iconography as a bridge between earthly and divine spaces. The text traces the origin of the specific “iconic gaze” originating from ancient Fayum portraits and its transformation into canonical Byzantine art. It explores the theological foundations of the concept of “spiritual vision” (θεωρία) and how it dictates specific stylistic elements — enlarged proportions, the absence of an external light source, and the frontality of the images. Special attention is given to the phenomenon of reverse perspective, in which the icon ceases to be an object of observation and becomes a “subject” that contemplates the viewer. A comparative analysis between the Eastern Orthodox tradition and Western European Renaissance humanism highlights the transition from the transcendent to the psychological portrait. The exposition concludes with an analysis of the symbolism of the “All-Seeing Eye” which became established in later periods of ecclesiastical painting.

Shapes of the Heart in the Byzantine Homiliaries. Case Study: The Parable of the Sower

Radu Gârbacea  |  On-site

It is well known today that the Byzantine Homiliaries I and II had a significant influence in the Balkan region and north of the Danube, particularly on Deacon Coresi’s Book of Instruction from 1581, on Metropolitan Varlaam’s book of sermons (1643), and on other similar works from the Romanian region, which established interpretive frameworks for certain biblical images or texts. This contribution focuses on the homily in which the heart is mentioned most frequently: the homily on the parable of the sower. Firstly, the homilies on the same parable from the two homiliaries are compared. Then, the instances in which the heart appears are identified and analyzed.

The Hand as a Symbol in the Miniatures of the Vienna Genesis (6th Century)

Kalina Grigorova  |  On-site

In the text of the Old Testament, the hand is present in a group of metaphors, including: a metaphor for power, strength or vitality — “The right hand of God” metaphorically expresses the supremacy of the Almighty (Ex. 6:1, Judg. 1:35); a metaphor expressing that a person or object is owned by someone or is under someone’s control and protection (Gen. 9:2, Ex. 33:22); and “hand” in the synecdoche for the means or people through whom something is accomplished or a message is transmitted (Ex. 4:17, Deut. 13:9). This study asks whether the early medieval Christian miniaturist put the same metaphorical meaning into the depiction of hands found in the Old Testament text. Attention is focused on the miniatures of the Vienna Genesis — a manuscript of the Book of Genesis in Greek, dated to the 6th century AD — examining characteristic hand gestures in three selected miniatures and exploring their symbolic meaning in relation to the content of the corresponding text and the historical context of the manuscript’s creation.

The Image of the Heart in Modern Theology. A Transformation Metaphor or a Story of Transformation?

Georgiana Huian  |  On-site

Modern theologians incorporate the image of the heart in different ways in their discourse. Many use biblical and patristic representations of the heart to illustrate the concept of human transformation through communion with the divine. This paper explores how theologians from different Christian denominations (e.g. Dumitru Staniloae, Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Rowan Williams) use the image of the heart, with the aim of revealing its less visible connotations. It aims to demonstrate that these connotations are closely linked with the spiritual traditions with which these theologies interact. By examining this interaction more closely, I will attempt to reconstruct the story of the similarities, overlaps and relocation of significations in a modern theology of the heart. 

The Image of the Mind: A Comparative Study of Evagrius Ponticus and St. John Cassian

Ioannis Kaminis  |  On-site

This paper investigates the image and concept of the mind and its understanding in the writings of Evagrius Ponticus and St. John Cassian, two of the most important early Christian monastic theologians. Through an analysis of their ascetic and spiritual literature, this paper examines how the mind is presented as one of the most important faculties of the human being, being called to purity, vigilance, and contemplation. Specifically, it focuses on the understanding of thoughts (logismoi) by Evagrius, the topology of the soul, and the mind’s journey towards the knowledge of God, as well as the reception of these ideas in the Latin monastic tradition by Cassian. The paper also emphasizes the active role of the mind in the spiritual battle, its need for purification from passions, and its return to its natural state through prayer and asceticism. Through a comparison of the two understandings, it illustrates the continuity and development of the early monastic understanding of the mind as the seat of spiritual combat and union with God.

The LIGHT Metaphor in the Bible

Zoltán Kövecses  |  On-site

A major metaphor in the Bible is that of LIGHT. In the talk, I take up four issues in connection with this metaphor. The four issues include: (1) Which LIGHT metaphors can be identified in the Bible, that is, metaphors in which LIGHT functions as a source domain? (2) How are these metaphors grounded, that is, what is their experiential basis? (3) Can we incorporate the LIGHT metaphors in the Bible in the ordinary metaphor system of English in a natural way? (4) How are these metaphors actually used in the biblical text and context? The analysis draws on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980; Kövecses, 2010) and examines metaphor as a usage event in discourse (Kövecses, 2020).

Human Being as an Image of the Church in St Maximus the Confessor’s Mystagogy

Zaharia Sebastian Mateiescu  |  On-site

This paper proposes an analysis of St Maximus’ idea of the human being as a spiritual image of the Church. It begins with a brief inquiry into the central role of the metaphor of the Church in the Ecclesiastical Mystagogy and then investigates its relationship with the human body and the sensible world. In particular, it focuses on the metaphor of the body as the nave of the Church and the relationship this has with Maximus’ concept of the first stage of the spiritual ascent towards divinization. The paper concludes by arguing that St Maximus uses the metaphor of human being as a unitarily whole made of different parts to represent both the unity and differences which are accommodated by the Church, and advances some potential sources for this idea.

Ashes of the Apocalypse: Echoes of the Book of Revelation in Cormac McCarthy’s Fiction. The Road: A Case Study

Ovidiu Matiu    |  On-site

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road reimagines the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation through a stark, secular lens that nevertheless preserves its prophetic aura. This paper examines how McCarthy receives and transforms biblical motifs – fire, light, the desert, etc. – to articulate a theology of survival amid divine silence. The novel’s ash-covered landscapes, reminiscent of the Revelation’s apocalyptic fire and judgment, become sites of moral testing and redemptive possibility. Through intertextual analysis, the study explores how the Revelation’s eschatological symbols are transformed into human acts of compassion and paternal love. By reading The Road alongside the Book of Revelation, this paper argues that McCarthy constructs a post-biblical eschatology that preserves the longing for transcendence while stripping it of the consolations of institutional faith. This approach combines close reading, intertextual theology, and visual analysis to map a reception history that moves from scripture to novel to image.

The Womb as Cosmos: Transfigured Creation in Byzantine Nativity Hymns and Icons

Andrew Mellas  |  St Andrew’s Theological College & University of Sydney  |  On-line

This paper explores how the liturgical performance of the Nativity hymns of Byzantium portray the Virgin’s body as a cosmological image that mediates between divine transcendence and human encounter. Focusing on Romanos the Melodist’s first hymn on the Nativity of Christ — which evokes a beautiful web of metaphors including temple, ark, and bridal chamber — and exploring the hymnody and liturgical arts for this feast more broadly, this paper investigates how the Byzantine rite presented the Theotokos as the somatic space in which the Incarnation transfigures creation itself. By analysing the poetic strategy of the hymn alongside relevant Byzantine iconography, particularly Marian apse imagery and Nativity compositions, this paper shows how the liturgical arts of Byzantium depicted the body of the Virgin as the site of divine revelation and embodiment of theological wonder, which the sacred space of the church sought to perpetuate through holy ritual.

From Nostrils to Breath and Anger: Anthropological Dimensions of אַף in the Old Testament

Ivaylo Naydenov  |  On-site

The study examines the relationship between corporeality, emotion, and meaning within the framework of biblical anthropology through the semantics of the Hebrew lexeme אַף (ʾaf), which denotes both “nose / nostril” and “anger.” Its central thesis is that the biblical text does not conceive of affects in abstract terms but consistently conceptualizes them as embodied experiences in which the physiological and the relational are inseparably intertwined. Through an exegetical analysis of key passages — Gen 2:7; Exod 15:8; and the formula אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם (“long of nostrils,” i.e., slow to anger) — the study demonstrates that anger is portrayed as a bodily grounded phenomenon associated with breathing, heating, and tension. Particular attention is given to the way this anthropological unity tends to dissolve in modern translations, where “anger” becomes abstracted and the bodily reference largely disappears. The study argues that such reduction obscures the biblical understanding of emotion as a bodily-relational act and calls for greater exegetical and translational attentiveness.

Multiplex Cor – An Exploration of the Heart’s Conceptualizations in the Triodion Compared to the Bible

Constantin Oancea  |  On-site

The references to the heart in the Triodion are notably fewer than the references to the soul. Still, the heart stands out for its wide range of uses. While a few references pertain to the physical organ, the vast majority are metaphorical. Especially when conceptualizing the inner life, emotions, and feelings, the heart proves to be multifunctional: it can be lofty or humbled, possess ears and eyes, cry, eat, understand, be firm or wavering, clean or filthy, etc. This investigation aims to identify the heart’s main functions as understood by Byzantine hymnographers. It will explore the source domains used to conceptualize the heart and the effects of these images. While hymnographers often drew upon biblical images of the heart, they also created new metaphors that reflect an ascetic and penitential culture characteristic of the Triodion. Additionally, we will examine whether there are preferred source domains, cases of blending source domains, and mutations that have occurred in relation to the Bible.

The Use of the Image Mouth/Tongue in the “Encomium to St. Cyril” by St. Clement of Ohrid

Pavel Pavlov  |  On-site

It is well known that in Holy Scripture, in Church Tradition, and in the Christian heritage as a whole, the metaphor of the mouth/tongue refers to the understanding of eloquence, speech, word, and even praise and hymnody. Not to mention that the word tongue also carries the meaning of a distinct linguistic family and even extends to the understanding of a particular people or nation. The present presentation proposes one possible perspective on this issue through a medieval hymnographic text that is foundational for the Slavo-Bulgarian linguistic and artistic tradition. The Encomium is relatively short (approximately 1,000 words), yet within it the image under consideration appears 26 times, and with related references the number doubles. The aim is to demonstrate how the examined image functions within the medieval text, while also looking forward to see how this metaphor continues to speak in later literature, in folk culture, and especially in church art (iconography, music, etc.).

The Concept of πρόσωπον in the Antiochian School (4th–5th Centuries)

Svetoslav Ribolov  |  On-site

In the biblical tradition, the concept of “face” (Heb. pānîm; Gk. prosōpon) transcends mere physical visibility, signifying presence, relational orientation, and personal manifestation. In the Old Testament, “seeking the face of the Lord” denotes the experience of divine favor, while the “hiding of the face” conveys judgment and the withdrawal of grace, introducing an apophatic tension between nearness and incomprehensibility. In the New Testament, the term acquires a distinctly Christological depth: in Jesus Christ, the “face” of God becomes historically manifest, and the vision “face to face” expresses the fulfillment of communion with God as well as the ethical ground for recognizing the dignity of the other. Within the Antiochian theological school of the fourth and fifth centuries, prosōpon undergoes a significant reconfiguration, shifting from connotations of “appearance” or “role” toward an ontological and personal category. Figures such as Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus, and John Chrysostom consolidate prosōpon as a bearer of personal identity and relational ontology, thereby contributing decisively to the emergence of “person” as a central dogmatic category.

Embodied Biblical Imagery and the Conceptualization of Anger Across Languages

Veronika Szelid  |  On-site

This paper investigates the embodied conceptualization of anger in the Bible, focusing on body-related imagery in the English New International Version (NIV) and situating the findings within a broader cross-linguistic study of religious metaphors of anger. Adopting a cognitive–cultural linguistic framework grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Cultural Linguistics, the analysis compares depictions of divine anger in the Old Testament with representations of anger in the New Testament, including episodes such as Jesus cleansing the Temple (Gospel of John 2:13–17). Old Testament texts frequently construe God’s anger through intense physiological and elemental imagery: kindled fire, burning, flaring nostrils, trembling earth, and overwhelming force. Such images integrate bodily experience with cosmic scale, presenting anger as both embodied and transcendent. In the New Testament, while divine anger remains theologically significant, discourse increasingly frames anger within relational and ethical contexts. These biblical conceptualizations are interpreted in light of a large-scale comparative study of anger metaphors in 25 languages from 11 language families, highlighting how biblical body imagery both reflects and potentially reinforces culturally available models of emotional meaning.