Jeana Visel, OSB, joined the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, in 2003. A northern Illinois native, she completed a BA in religious studies from Kenyon College and an MA in theology with a concentration in monastic studies from Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary. She is working on a DMin in spirituality from The Catholic University of America. She has been studying icon painting since 2006, completing workshops with master iconographer Xenia Pokrovsky and continuing studies with iconographer Marek Czarnecki. She works at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.
"This intelligent study, noting everything from aesthetics and
liturgical studies to theology, is an indispensable work for those
who want to incorporate icons into Western worship and devotions.
Grounded in solid scholarship and gracefully written, it is a most
welcome volume on a quite timely topic."Lawrence S. Cunningham, The
University of Notre Dame
"This lovely book by Sr. Jeana Visel offers a remarkably fresh
approach to the sacred iconic art of the ancient Church and shows
how it can be a spiritual resource to renew worship across the
traditions: Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. It wears its
(significant) learning lightly. It takes the reader through a
well-rounded history of iconography, and basing itself in the
Western Christian tradition of response to that (for the West was
always a little more wary of ascribing sacramental value to the
icons) it shows how, although conflicted in some respects (such as
wishing to restrict the role of religious art more to a didactic
function), the Western iconic tradition has been wider and more
nuanced than often presumed. The study has a very interesting set
of theological reflections on the sacramentality of art following
Vatican II. The conciliar call in the sixties for a `noble
simplicity' to be introduced into church furnishing and liturgical
fabric sometimes led to a crisis of banality in the artistic
decoration of churches. Visel argues powerfully here that deep
iconic art has the charisma to bring grace to contemporary worship,
just as it did in times past, and can serve as an ecumenical
rapprochement, with Catholicism's iconic tradition standing in a
median role between the Orthodox and the Protestant worlds in their
different understanding of icons as gateways to divine grace. Fifty
years ago, icons (excepting Our Lady of Perpetual Succour) were
hardly ever seen in the Catholic Church. Now they are a dominant
form of spiritual expression. They have begun to make a more
familiar appearance in many of the Reformed churches too. It has
been a remarkable, unplanned, ecumenical outreach from the East,
partly initiated by an unlikely evangelist, Stalin, selling off his
Russian Church's great treasures to fund his machine of oppression.
These quiet exiles brought their grace to the West once more and
whispered a word of ecumenical grace and peace. Visel's book
continues that `secret ministry.' The text has been produced by
Liturgical Press with a deep artistic sensibility: its numerous
illustrations make it a beautiful thing to possess. A little
treasure. Highly recommended."Archpriest John A. McGuckin, Nielsen
Professor of Byzantine Christian History, Columbia University, New
York
"Sr. Jeana Visel has done us a great service in her book. She
writes with great lucidity, sensitivity, and learning about the
need for the Western Church to embrace icons as part of its
patrimony. After outlining the historical and theological
background of the icon, she boldly and intelligently addresses the
contemporary challenges facing the icon's integration into the
Western Church. A book for all Roman Catholic laypeople, and of
great interest to Orthodox readers also, at the very least it
should be mandatory reading for every Catholic seminarian, priest,
and church architect."Aidan Hart, British Iconographer and
Writer
"Just as the words of Scripture have been carefully transmitted to
us down through the ages, the icon likewise embodies our faith in
wood and paint and shimmering gold. Jeana Visel gives us a
well-grounded and insightful way to think about this traditional
art form in new ways and its possible integration into Western
worship. Visel's approach is enriched by the personal experience of
being an accomplished icon writer herself. This book is a must for
all who are interested in the integration of liturgy and the
arts."Martin Erspamer, OSB, Saint Meinrad Archabbey
"Icons in the Western Church is a fascinating, helpful book
for anyone who admires icons yet lacks an in-depth understanding of
their background and purpose. Well-researched and clearly written,
this work will help the reader sort through the theological,
liturgical, and ethical issues involved in the use of icons in the
Western Church. In this timely, ecumenically sensitive, and
thought-provoking book, the author provides nuanced suggestions
concerning the placement of icons in churches and homes of the
faithful and also challenges the practice of some artists in
creating `new' icons."Rita Ferrone, Editor of The Yale ISM
Review
"Jeana Visel provides those who are interested in studying the
aesthetics in the worship space an indispensable liturgical study
of icons or panel paintings. It will provide an opportunity for
those who read it to begin a theological dialogue within themselves
and with others who gaze upon the word of God in the Icon."John E.
Hugus, APC, Journal of the Academy of Parish Liturgy
"For any reader unfamiliar with icons or the Roman Catholic
perspective on icons this text provides a succinct, well-written
overview of these topics. This text is an original work that would
be well-situated for students of art history, iconography, or
Orthodox-Catholic ecumenism."Walter N. Sisto, Catholic Books
Review
"Deserves the widest possible readership among Western
Christians."The Catholic World Report
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