Showing posts with label christian symbol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian symbol. Show all posts

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Cherub (Cherubim)

Cherubim is a celestial winged being with human, animal, or birdlike characteristics. This winged creatures have four faces, those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They are included among the angels, and in the Hebrew scriptures they are described as the throne bearers of God. Cherubim were probably thought of in the ancient Middle East as composite creatures like the winged creatures of Assyria. The late Christian art often represented them as a winged child or winged head of a child. They are symbolizing dignity, glory, and honor. With the seraphim they are said to be in the very presence of God. The color surrounding them is traditionally blue. The color blue is associated with the Cherubim, as the color red is with the Seraphim.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

The Sacred Heart is a devotional name used by some Roman Catholics to refer to the physical heart of Jesus Christ as a symbol of Divine love. Devotion to the Sacred Heart in focusing on Christ's heart metaphorically focuses on the emotional and moral life of Jesus and especially His love for humanity. It also stresses the central Christian concept of loving and adoring Jesus. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is today one of the most recognizable symbols of the Catholic faith. The image originated in France near the end of the seventeenth century when a nun named Marguerite Marie Alacoque (Often anglicized to Mary-Margaret) began to publicize her mystical visions of Jesus, who admonished her to devote herself and the country to the veneration of his heart, which she described the heart as the center of communication between humans and the Divine. In most depictions, Christ's heart is shown containing wounds to which Christ points, as well as a crown of thorns. This wounded heart is meant to symbolize Christ's pain at the rejection of God's Gospel message of salvation and righteousness by humanity.

Anchor Cross (Crux Dissimulata)

The Anchor Cross An early covert Christian symbol. It was the emblem of st. clement, bishop of rome, who according to tradition was tied to an anchor and tossed into the sea by the emperor trajan. It has been the anchor cross and the firm faith which keeped christians steady in the storms of life. Based on hebrews 6:19 which reads, ‘we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain.’
The traditional anchor cross appears in various forms. One variation manages to include three crosses to represent the three crosses on Calvary or the Holy Trinity.
The anchor is a life saver - it can prevent a ship from crashing on to rocks. For Christians, the analogy is that Christ can save spiritual lives. The nautical image of an anchor gives the idea of navigation (through life). Alternative names include St. Clement's Cross, Sailor's or Mariner's Cross.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Triquetra

The Triquetra meaning "three-cornered" in Latin, has three distinct, yet interlocked points.
The symbol technically represents the 3 aspects of the feminine life cycle, the maiden, the mother and the crone but more frequently represents the 3 fold nature.
This symbol were adopted by Christians as the sign for the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God The Holy Spirit). Also, it could represent three fishes ("Pisces").
In Christian Ireland and other areas, the triquetra was used to represent the Holy Trinity, but the symbol itself far predates Christianity.
It has also been found as a symbol of Odin in the Nordic lands.
Occasionally, the triquetra appears within a circle, or with a circle overlapping the three pieces.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Presbyterian Cross

Presbyterian Cross is a cross used by Presbyterian church.

Presbyterianism, form of Christian church organization based on administration by a hierarchy of courts composed of clerical and lay presbyters. Holding a position between episcopacy and Congregationalism, Presbyterianism sought a return to the early practice of appointed elders as described in the New Testament.
Spiritually, Presbyterianism uses the principles of Calvinism and forms the main branch of the Reformed churches.

Cross Of St. James

The Cross of St. James is formed by a Fleurie Cross, where the lower part is pointed, making a Fitched Cross.
Such pointed crosses are said to have been carried in ancient times by Christian pilgrims, to thrust securely into firm ground.
They would then kneel before this upright cross for prayer. The Cross of St. James is also seen as a spear or sword blade (fitched) making this a warrior's cross.
It is most frequently depicted in red.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Coptic Cross

The Coptic Church is the Christian church of Egypt, established by Mark in the 1st century . The church now also has dioceses elsewhere in Africa and the Near East. The early Gnostics and Copts adapted the Egyptian Ankh Cross as the basis of its emblem, which then evolved as the region's history changed.

Old Coptic crosses often incorporate a circle; sometimes large, sometimes small. The circle was inherited from the Ankh, where it originally depicted the Sun God. For the Coptic Church, the circle represents the eternal and everlasting love of God. It also symbolises Christ's resurrection.

The coptic alphabet is variant of the greek alphabet
containing a number of extra letters which come from
the egyptian script. the coptic alphabet came into being
during the 1-3rd century BC after the greek conquest of egypt
and the subsequent spread of the indigenous form of christianity
(coptic orthodox christianity). according to tradition, the apostle
mark established in egypt in the middle of the first century CE
(approximately 60 AD). coptic crosses reflect a number of historic
influences including greek, latin, egyptian, and celtic design
elements.

The Dove Symbolism

The deepest kind of Peace and Faith is symbolized by the Dove. It's image stills our worried and troubled thoughts, and shows us how to find renewal in the silence of our minds. In such moments of stillness, we are able to appreciate the simple blessings that go unnoticed in the chaos that surrounds us each day.
Symbol of the Holy Ghost and used especially in representations of our Lord's Baptism and the Pentecost. It also symbolizes the release of the soul in death, and is used to recall Noah's dove, a harbinger of hope.
Doves are sacred to all Great Mothers and Queens of Heaven and depict femininity and maternity; often two Doves accompany the Mother Goddess.
In ancient Greek myth, it was the Dove was the bird of Athena which represented the renewal of life.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Labarum Meaning

First adopted by the Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity. It is described as a pike bearing a silk banner hanging from a crosspiece, and surmounted by a golden crown. It bore a monogram of the first two letters (CHR) of the name of Christ in its Greek form. Later, the name was given to various modifications of this standard.
As to the monogram, it was a combination of the letter X, Chi, and P, Rho, the initial syllable of Christos.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Patriarchal Cross Symbolism

The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross.
Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the Patriarchal cross possesses a smaller crossbar placed above the main one, so that both crossbars are near the top.

Sometimes the patriarchal cross has a short, slanted crosspiece near its foot. This slanted, lower crosspiece often appears in Byzantine Greek and Eastern European iconography, as well as Eastern Orthodox churches.
The symbol, often referred to as the patriarchal cross, appeared in the Byzantine Empire in large numbers in the 9th century.

The top beam represents the plaque bearing the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." The bottom beam may represent a balance of justice.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Cross And Crown

The Cross and Crown is a traditional Christian symbol, appears in many churches , that has aswell been used in heraldry.It is generally interpreted as symbolizing reward in heaven (the crown) coming after the trials in this life (the cross).
The attribute appears in the seal of the Church of Christ, Scientist, where it is surrounded by the words "Heal the Sick, Cleanse the Lepers, Raise the Dead, Cast Out Demons", from the Gospel of Matthew, 10:8. In this attribute the crown stands for victory over death.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Ankh Cross

The Ankh Cross represents life (immortality) and death, male and female, balance. It can aswell represent zest, joy of life, and energy. It's related closely to the looped cross that can mean fertility and life.

The gods are often seen holding an ankh to someone's lips this is considered to be an offering of "The Breath of Life". The breath you will need in afterlife.

Like a lot of religious or spiritual symbols, the Ankh Cross doesn't have a single meaning. The following extracts from books on symbols might help you get a feeling for it, though.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Trefoil

Trefoil (from Latin trifolium, "three-leaved plant", French trefle, German Dreiblatt and Dreiblattbogen) is a clear form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings acclimated in architectonics and Christian symbolism. The term is aswell activated other symbols of three-fold shape.

Trefoil is a term in Gothic architectonics given to the ornament foliation or cusping introduced in thehead of window-lights, tracery, panellings, etc., in which the center takes the form of a three-lobed leaf (formed from three partially-overlapping circles). One of the ancient examples is in the plate architecture at Winchester (1222 - 1235). The fourfold adaptation of an architectural trefoil is a quatrefoil.

A trefoil accumulated with an equilaternal triangle was aswell a moderately accepted symbol of the Christian Trinity during the late Middle Ages in some locations of Europe.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Ichthus - Fish Christian Symbol

The fish was an early attribute of Christianity, since the Greek word for fish, ichthus, is an acronym (the aboriginal letter of each word) for the Greek phrase Iesous Christos Theou Huios Soter, which means "Jesus Christ, of God the Son, Savior." It is used as the graffiti, and was used as a secret password if Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. The sign of the Ichthus was simple to draw consisting basically of two arcs.