The Tradition, Beauty and Purpose of Orthodox Iconography - Dec 10
Lifelong Learning | Please email (lifelonglearning@laroche.edu) to register.
Religious icons have been part of Christian tradition from the earliest days of the faith. They have developed in style and application over the centuries but have maintained a consistent message. As one leading theologian has expressed it, a proper Orthodox icon "brings you a simple, peaceful and life-giving message, coming down from above…It addresses itself to human nature universally, to human thirst for something beyond....a reality which, in the clarity of silence and in tranquility, raises up from the deepest level." This class will address the place of iconography in the Orthodox Church - its tradition, beauty and purpose. Highlighting the class will be an extensive tour and explanation of the iconography in the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in McCandless Township, Pittsburgh North Hills, which has been newly-completed according to ancient Orthodox tradition.
The class will take place at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 985 Providence Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.
Father John Touloumes
Father John Touloumes is the "Proistamenos" (Head Priest) at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh, McCandless Township. He is currently in his 35th year of ordained ministry and has served at Holy Trinity Church for the past 31 years. A Pennsylvania native, he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College in 1981, his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1985 and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Business in 1986. He has served in numerous leadership positions at the local, regional and national levels. Father John, working with many dedicated and talented parishioners, was a central figure in the design, construction and completion of the new Holy Trinity Church, located across from the Sisters of Divine Providence. The project involved consultations with and visits to talented artists and artisans from Greece and America, with an emphasis on being guided by historic Orthodox Christian tradition.