Abstract
This paper examines how the doctrine of the Holy Trinity—central yet conceptually challenging in Christian theology—has been articulated through visual and symbolic forms across history, culminating in a semiotic reading of Andrei Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity. By analysing early Christian catacomb paintings, baptismal scenes, and the Dogmatic Sarcophagus, the study demonstrates that artistic expression served as a primary theological language long before doctrinal formulations were formalized. The paper then situates this visual tradition within a global and indigenous perspective, showing how Christian theological imagination expands as it encounters diverse cultures. In particular, Indian Christian artists reinterpret Trinitarian mystery using indigenous symbols, gestures, and cosmologies, revealing that local spiritualities offer meaningful and theologically rich ways of visualising the divine. These expressions resonate deeply with the relational and communal vision reflected in Rublev’s icon. Through this comparative lens, the paper argues that sacred art—whether Byzantine, African, or Indian—functions as a universal medium that both communicates doctrine and embodies the spirituality of its people. Ultimately, the study highlights the enduring power of visual theology and invites the contemporary Church to reclaim art as a vital medium through which global and indigenous communities can participate in expressing the mystery of the Triune God.
Presenters
Rijo GeevarghesePriest, Diocese of Ahmedabad, Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church, Kerala, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Indigenous Spiritualities in Global Perspective
KEYWORDS
TRINITY, ORTHODOX, ART, ICONOGRAPHY, CHRISTIAN
