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Christian iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
, Christ Pantocrator ( grc-gre, Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ) is a specific depiction of Christ. ''Pantocrator'' or ''Pantokrator'', literally ''ruler of all'', but usually translated as "Almighty" or "all-powerful", is derived from one of many names of God in Judaism. The Pantokrator, largely an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic theological conception, is less common under that name in Western Roman Catholicism and largely unknown to most Protestants. In the West, the equivalent image in art is known as
Christ in Majesty Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory ( la, Maiestas Domini) is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whos ...
, which developed a rather different iconography. ''Christ Pantocrator'' has come to suggest Christ as a mild but stern, all-powerful judge of humanity. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek as the Septuagint, ''Pantokrator'' was used both for ''YHWH Sabaoth'' "
Lord of Hosts Judaism considers some names of God so holy that, once written, they should not be erased: YHWH, Adonai, El ("God"), Elohim ("God," a plural noun), Shaddai ("Almighty"), and Tzevaot (" fHosts"); some also include Ehyeh ("I Will Be").This is th ...
" and for ''
El Shaddai El Shaddai ( ''ʾĒl Šadday''; ) or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. ''El Shaddai'' is conventionally translated into English as ''God Almighty'' (''Deus Omnipotens'' in Latin, الله عز وجل Allāh 'azzawajal in Ara ...
'' "
God Almighty El Shaddai ( ''ʾĒl Šadday''; ) or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. ''El Shaddai'' is conventionally translated into English as ''God Almighty'' (''Deus Omnipotens'' in Latin, الله عز وجل Allāh 'azzawajal in Ara ...
". In the New Testament, ''Pantokrator'' is used once by
Paul Paul may refer to: * Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...
() and nine times in the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...
: , , , , , , , , and . The references to God the Father and God the Son in Revelation are at times interchangeable, but ''Pantokrator'' appears to be reserved for the Father except, perhaps, in 1:8.


Meaning

The most common translation of ''Pantocrator'' is "Almighty" or "All-powerful". In this understanding, ''Pantokrator'' is a compound word formed from the Greek words , ' (
GEN Gen may refer to: * ''Gen'' (film), 2006 Turkish horror film directed by Togan Gökbakar * Gen (Street Fighter), a video game character from the ''Street Fighter'' series * Gen Fu, a video game character from the ''Dead or Alive'' series * Gen ...
'), i.e. "all" and , '','' i.e. "strength", "might", "power". This is often understood in terms of potential power; i.e., ability to do anything, omnipotence. Christ pantocrator signifies Jesus in his glory during his
second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messia ...
seated on his throne. Another, more literal translation is "Ruler of All" or, less literally, "Sustainer of the World". In this understanding, Pantokrator is a compound word formed from the Greek for "all" and the verb meaning "To accomplish something" or "to sustain something" (, '). This translation speaks more to God's actual power; i.e., God does everything (as opposed to God can do everything).


Iconography

The icon of Christ Pantokrator is one of the most common religious images of Orthodox Christianity. Generally speaking, in
Byzantine art Byzantine art comprises the body of Christian Greek artistic products of the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from the decline of Rome and lasted ...
church art and architecture, an
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most c ...
ic mosaic or fresco of Christ Pantokrator occupies the space in the central dome of the church, in the half-dome of the
apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
, or on the nave vault. Some scholars (Latourette 1975: 572) consider the Pantocrator a Christian adaptation of images of Zeus, such as the great statue of Zeus enthroned at Olympia. The development of the earliest stages of the icon from Roman Imperial imagery is easier to trace. The image of Christ Pantocrator was one of the first images of Christ developed in the Early Christian Church and remains a central icon of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the half-length image, Christ holds the New Testament in his left hand and makes the gesture of teaching or of
blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will. Etymology and Germanic paganism The modern English language term ''bless'' likel ...
with his right. The typical Western
Christ in Majesty Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory ( la, Maiestas Domini) is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whos ...
is a full-length icon. In the early Middle Ages, it usually presented Christ in a mandorla or other geometric frame, surrounded by the Four Evangelists or their symbols. The oldest known surviving example of the icon of Christ Pantocrator was painted in encaustic on panel in the sixth or seventh century, and survived the period of destruction of images during the Iconoclastic disputes that twice racked the Eastern church, 726 to 787 and 814 to 842. It was preserved in
Saint Catherine's Monastery Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
, in the remote desert of the Sinai. The gessoed panel, finely painted using a wax medium on a wooden panel, had been coarsely overpainted around the face and hands at some time around the thirteenth century. When the overpainting was cleaned in 1962, the ancient image was revealed to be a very high-quality icon, probably produced in Constantinople. The icon, traditionally half-length when in a semi-dome,Otherwise the size of the figure would have to be greatly reduced to avoid the head appearing at the flattening top of the semi-dome. which became adopted for panel icons also, depicts Christ fully frontal with a somewhat melancholy and stern aspect, with the right hand raised in blessing or, in the early encaustic panel at Saint Catherine's Monastery, the conventional rhetorical gesture that represents teaching. The left hand holds a closed book with a richly decorated cover featuring the
Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...
, representing the Gospels. An icon where Christ has an open book is called "Christ the Teacher", a variant of the Pantocrator. Christ is bearded, his brown hair centrally parted, and his head is surrounded by a halo. The icon usually has a gold ground comparable to the gilded grounds of
Byzantine mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s. Often, the name of Christ is written on each side of the halo, as IC and XC. Christ's fingers are depicted in a pose that represents the letters IC, X and C, thereby making the
Christogram A Christogram ( la, Monogramma Christi) is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a religious symbol within the Christian Church. One of the oldest Christograms is the ...
''ICXC'' (for "Jesus Christ"). The IC is composed of the Greek characters iota (Ι) and lunate sigma (C; instead of Σ, ς)—the first and last letters of 'Jesus' in Greek (); in XC the letters are
chi Chi or CHI may refer to: Greek *Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ); Chinese * ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter * Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon *Chi (surname) (池, pinyin: ''chí' ...
(Χ) and again the lunate sigma—the first and last letters of 'Christ' in Greek (). In many cases, Christ has a
cruciform halo A halo (from the Greek , ; also known as a nimbus, aureole, glory, or gloriole) is a crown of light rays, circle or disk of light that surrounds a person in art. It has been used in the iconography of many religions to indicate holy or sacre ...
inscribed with the letters Ο Ω Ν, i.e. "He Who Is". File:The_Greek_Pantokrator_on_the_Hungarian_Holy_Crown.jpg, The Pantokrator on the Hungarian Holy Crown, c. 400 File:Pantocràtor de Taüll.jpg, Pantocràtor de Taüll,
Sant Climent de Taüll Sant may refer to: People * Alfred Sant (born 1948), Maltese politician * Andrew Sant (born 1950), English-born Australian poet * David Sant (born 1968), Catalan director, actor and writer * Indira Sant (1914–2000), Indian poet * James Sant ...
Church, Catalonia. (Now at MNAC-
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (, English language, English: "National Art Museum of Catalonia"), abbreviated as MNAC, is a museum of Catalonia, Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated on Montjuïc hill at the e ...
, Barcelona) File:Christ Pantocrator, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.png, Christ Pantocrator mosaic from the dome of the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hy, Սուրբ Հարության տաճար, la, Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri, am, የቅዱስ መቃብር ቤተክርስቲያን, he, כנסיית הקבר, ar, كنيسة القيامة is a church i ...
in Jerusalem File:Sankt Petersburg Auferstehungskirche innen 2005 d.jpg, Christ Pantocrator inside the dome of Church of the Saviour on the Blood (Храм Спаса на Крови),
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
File:Christ Pantocrator - Capela Palatina - Palermo - Italy 2015.JPG, Mosaic of Palatine Chapel in Palermo File:Mosaico di cristo in trono tra gli apostoli e le ss. prudenziana e prassede, 410 dc ca. 01.jpg, Christ Pantocrator in the church of
Santa Pudenziana Santa Pudenziana is a church of Rome, a basilica built in the 4th century and dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Praxedes and daughter of Pudens (mentioned by Paul the Apostle in '' 2 Timothy'', 4: 21). It is one of the national churches in ...
in Rome, Roman mosaic, c. 410 AD File:Jesus in Sacred Heart Church (Berlin).jpg, Christ Pantocrator inside the Sacred Heart Church (Berlin), c. 1900 File:Russian Jewelled Icon of Christ Pantocrator.jpg, A miniature Russian icon of Christ Pantocrator, richly decorated with pearls and enamel, c. 1899–1908 File:KWGK Mosaik 04.jpg, Damaged mosaic of Christ Pantocrator inside the
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (in German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, but mostly just known as Gedächtniskirche ) is a Protestant church affiliated with the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia, a reg ...
, c. 1895 File:Пантократор (Св. Богородица,Битола).jpg, Roof fresco of Christ Pantocrator, Nativity of the Theotokos Church,
Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki b ...
, North Macedonia File:Christ Pantocrator (Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, Belgrade).jpg, Christ Pantocrator in the Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky,
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...
, Serbia


See also

* Christ the Redeemer *
Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo ( en, Monument to the Divine Savior of the World) is a monument located on Plaza El Salvador del Mundo (The Savior of the World Plaza) in San Salvador City, El Salvador. It consists of a statue of Jesus Chri ...
*
Salvator Mundi , Latin for Saviour of the World, is a subject in iconography depicting Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding an orb (frequently surmounted by a cross), known as a . The latter symbolizes the Earth, and the wh ...
*
Transfiguration of Jesus In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it (). In these a ...
*
Symbolism of domes The symbolic meaning of the dome has developed over millennia. Although the precise origins are unknown, a mortuary tradition of domes existed across the ancient world, as well as a symbolic association with the sky. Both of these traditions may h ...


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* Latourette, Kenneth Scott, 1975. ''A History of Christianity'', Volume 1, "Beginnings to 1500". Revised edition. (San Francisco: HarperCollins) * Christopher Schonborn, Lothar Kraugh (tr.) 1994. ''God's Human Face: The Christ Icon''. Originally published as ''Icôn du Christ: Fondements théologiques élaborés entre le Ie et IIe Conciles de Nicée'' (Fribourg) 1976


Further reading

* Chatzidakis, Manolis (September 1967). "An Encaustic Icon of Christ at Sinai". Gerry Walters, tr. ''The Art Bulletin'' 49.3, pp. 197–208. * Galavaris, George (Jan 1, 1981). ''The Icon in the Life of the Church'', 11. Brill Academic Publishers.


External links


The Christ Pantocrator Icon at St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai

The icon Christ Pantocrator at Chilandar Monastery on Holy Mount Athos

The Deesis Pantocrator in Hagia Sophia
{{Authority control Christian terminology Eastern Orthodox icons Iconography of Jesus Christology Books in art