Papers by Matthew Milliner
Routledge eBooks, Mar 21, 2023
God in the Modern Wing, 2021
After offering a top ten list of moments in the last decade where the Art Institute of Chicago's ... more After offering a top ten list of moments in the last decade where the Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing and Christian faith converged, this paper surveys how Marc Chagall, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí encapsulate the theological virtues (Faith, Hope and Love), with attention to Dalí's troubling connection to Francisco Franco and to non-Western Christian expressions as well.
Approaches to Byzantine Architecture and its Decoration, Dec 5, 2016
Mother of the Lamb: The Story of a Global Icon
The Princeton University Library Chronicle, 2009
Theology Today, 2006
There were two major waves of Byzantine iconoclasm–an outbreak that led to Empress Irene's Ni... more There were two major waves of Byzantine iconoclasm–an outbreak that led to Empress Irene's Nicea II in 787 and one that led to Empress Theodora's triumph of Orthodoxy in 854. This essay shows that, whereas the initial theological defense of icons formulated by John of Damascus in response to the first wave of iconoclasm clearly falls within the scope of John Calvin's censure of images, the more sophisticated theological defense of icons formulated by Theodore of Studios against the second wave clearly does not, thus opening the possibility of a Reformed appropriation of images, properly understood, for worship or personal devotion.
Mary holds the Christ child in the traditional formula, but unexpectedly, angels appear above bea... more Mary holds the Christ child in the traditional formula, but unexpectedly, angels appear above bearing not good news, but a cross, spear and sponge - tidings of Christ's future torment. This is the Virgin of the Passion icon. Due to its enormous proliferation by papal command, it has been called perhaps the most popular religious icon of the twentieth century. But despite an abundance of recent studies on the Virgin Mary in Byzantium, there has been little investigation into what first spurred this iconographical innovation. This dissertation pursues this question by exploring four themes related to the Virgin of the Passion in Byzantium: Power, painting, priesthood, and predestination. My first two chapters explore what the Virgin of the Passion is not. "Power" has been a pervasive scholarly theme in the humanities in recent decades, and Byzantine art history is no exception. Yet a vague concept of power does little to illuminate the original context of the first known...
Last of my Hansen lectures with response from Dr. Amy Peeler
Stanislava Kuzmová and Andrea-Bianka Znorovszky, eds., Mary, the Apostles and the Last Judgment (Trivent, 2020), 2020
Mary’s priesthood is a prominent theme in Byzantine art, and this paper argues that it abounds at... more Mary’s priesthood is a prominent theme in Byzantine art, and this paper argues that it abounds at the Virgin of the Vetches church (Panagia tou Arakos) at Lagoudera in Cyprus, especially because of extensive depictions of the apocrypha. Through subtle interpretations of the Protevangelium and Dormition narratives, the twelfth-century artist Theodore Apsevdis highlighted priestly aspects of the beginning, middle and end of Mary’s life, aspects unified through a visualization of the Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn (Cherubikon) which is said by priests to commence the Eucharistic portion of the liturgy.
Journal of NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community, 2018
Most North Americans have familiarity with monuments such as Stonehenge or the cave paintings of ... more Most North Americans have familiarity with monuments such as Stonehenge or the cave paintings of Lascaux. And yet, it remains normal to encounter Ontarians unaware of the Peterborough petroglyphs or Pennsylvanians oblivious to the evidence of early American inhabitants at the Meadowcroft Rockshelter. To address this dilemma, this paper contests the “whiteness” of art history not by resisting, but by relocating the dominant paradigm of Italian Renaissance art. The pattern of original accomplishment, decline, and rebirth that Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) discerned in Italy is discernible in the native art of this continent as well, especially at the newly designed National Gallery of Canada. There is also a parallel between Vasari’s attempt to harmonize a revived Graeco-Roman culture with Christianity and present attempts to do the same for native culture. Public reception of the work of indigenous painter Norval Morrisseau, however, exemplifies how New Age religion combined with the demands of the art market can disrupt this harmonization and reinvigorate a colonialism that is threatened by indigenous artists who embrace traditional Christian faith.
Comment, 2019
Review of the Armenia! exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Come, Let Us Eat Together: Sacraments and Christian Unity, 2018
It's complicated. Read the thing.
Princeton Theological Review, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2017
A survey of popular evangelical visual culture guided with the help of philosopher Gordon Graham.... more A survey of popular evangelical visual culture guided with the help of philosopher Gordon Graham. The title draws on Mark Noll's book, "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind."
An article about an altarpiece our students created with Bruce Herman. I call her "Our Lady of 20... more An article about an altarpiece our students created with Bruce Herman. I call her "Our Lady of 2054."
A review of Leslie Brubaker and John Haldon, Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era, c. 680–850: A Histo... more A review of Leslie Brubaker and John Haldon, Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era, c. 680–850: A History (Cambridge UP, 2011) & Bissera Pentcheva, The Sensual Icon: Space, Ritual, and the Senses in Byzantium (Penn State UP, 2013). In Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies Vol. 55, 3-4 (2014).
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Papers by Matthew Milliner
Perpetual Help in the West, the icon has expanded beyond its Byzantine origins to become one of the most recognizable images of our time. It boasts multiple major shrines on nearly every continent and is reflected in every epoch of art history since its origin, including modern and contemporary art, and even making an appearance at the Olympics in 2012.