La théologie de l’image entre les musulmans et les chrétiens syriaques - melkites, monophysites et nestoriens
Theology of Image – Syriac Christians (Melchites, Monophysites, Nestorians) versus Muslims

Summary/Abstract: The place of paintings and other works of art in religion have always been a thorny issue in the Christian-Muslim dialogue. The first part of this article presents a general overview of the Muslims' stance on the cult of images. The second part offers a broad array of Christian responses to it, as expressed by the writers of the Christian-Syriac traditions: Melchites, Western Syrians (Monophysites) and Eastern Syrians (Nestorians). Their theology of the image - sadly still little known - solidly based on the core Christian believes, enhanced by certain Judaistic elements, challenged by the anthropomorphic polytheism of the Greeks, and tried in the furnace of the theological discourse during the troubled times of the iconoclastic controversies, is immensely rich and meaningful. They speak in favour of the cult of images, though postulate a measure of caution in their application in the liturgy. Their manner of presenting their arguments betrays a good knowledge of Islam and is geared towards accommodating the potential apprehensions of their Muslim counterparts.

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