The Gospel in Art

Recently, Deacon Ahonen, Pastor Rutowicz and I had the opportunity , in conjunction with our recent trip to Finland, for a ‘day trip’ to Tallinn, Estonia. It would be hard to do justice here to the beauty of the Old City area of Tallinn. But among the chief wonders of that city is the Holy Ghost Church. One is overwhelmed by the sheer quantity and quality of Christian art which surrounds one on every side; the interior is no larger than may be found many American Lutheran churches, but with about fifty times the quantity of art.

Although much attention is rightly devoted to the 1483 altar, the “Pauper’s Bible” which rings the Nave is even more impressive (catechetically, anyway). Far from a ‘medieval’ element, the paintings date to the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy, and the efforts of one pastor in the 1650s, in particular. Here are a few examples of what may be seen there:

(Sorry, my pictures can’t do justice to what you can see “in person”.)

The intention of the paintings was to surround parishioners with painting which call to mind many events in the Old and New Testament, and carved images which symbolize the Virtues and thereby to reinforce the Word of God that was preached into their ears. The Church has actually published a beautiful book which provides the text associated with each image, which makes the experience of viewing them more complete, and edifying.

Our Lutheran Confessions are rightly skeptical of Romish and Eastern notions regarding images; thus, for example we teach in Article 21 of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession:

32] With the learned this error also prevails, namely, that to each saint a particular administration has been committed, that Anna bestows riches [protects from poverty], Sebastian keeps off pestilence, Valentine heals epilepsy, George protects horsemen. These opinions have clearly sprung from heathen examples. For thus, among the Romans, Juno was thought to enrich, Febris to keep off fever, Castor and Pollux to protect horsemen, etc.

33] Even though we should imagine that the invocation of saints were taught with the greatest prudence, yet since the example is most dangerous, why is it necessary to defend it when it has no command or testimony from God’s Word? Aye, it has not even the testimony of the ancient writers.

34] First because, as I have said above, when other mediators are sought in addition to Christ, and confidence is put in others, the entire knowledge of Christ is suppressed. The subject shows this. In the beginning, mention of the saints seems to have been admitted with a design that is endurable, as in the ancient prayers. Afterwards invocation followed, and abuses that are prodigious and more than heathenish followed invocation. From invocation the next step was to images; these also were worshiped, and a virtue was supposed to exist in these, just as magicians imagine that a virtue exists in images of the heavenly bodies carved at a particular time.

“More than heathenish” is the sort of language that makes it quite clear that the Church rejects the worship of images promoted by the Roman Church. (Thus our diocese’s “Malone Theses” echo the teaching of the Book of Concord regarding images, and the godly catechesis which Martin Chemnitz offers regarding images in his Examination of the Council of Trent.)

Holy Ghost Church offers a powerful example of the Christian use of images; not for worship, but for catechesis, and that of a secondary character, reinforcing by sight what the Christian has heard. The Church does well to teach her children through each of the means available to her, and that certainly includes Christian paintings and statuary.