Icons of Resilience: Theosis as Social Holiness in an Emerging Anglican Theology of Iconographic Practice

This paper posits an Anglican theology of iconographic practice, tracing shifts in Anglican engagement with Eastern Orthodox icons from 1888 to 2020, with reference to the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue. It highlights a growing openness to iconography, reflecting a convergence with Orthodox theology on a range of theological topics over the past 50 years.  This culminates in the work of Rowan Williams, whose life-long interest in Eastern Orthodoxy lays a foundation for a uniquely Anglican interpretation of the icon.  The paper concludes with a case study of "Icons of Resilience" in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, General Theological Seminary, NYC. A trio of icons, depicting Alexander Crummell, Florence Li Tim-Oi, and Pauli Murray, both inspire students and promote practices of remembrance and repentance, rooted in Anglican baptismal theology. The Anglican appropriation of Orthodox iconography at General Seminary reveals a theology where theosis is intertwined with social holiness.