Notion of "Symbol" in Christianity part 1
The problem we shall adress in this article might be described as follows:
Whole Christian worship is interwoven with sybolism. Why is that, and what is the theological justification for it?
Very notion of "symbol" contains the problem of its relation to the truth. It is always between not being fuly identificated with it, and not being entirely foreign to it. Where should we pinpoint distinctive Christian notion of "symbol"?
Because of its relation to the truth, Christian symbol runs the risk of being identified with magic. How does Christian symbolism differ from magic? How can Christianity balance and how it can avoid falling either into the Scylla of magic or Charybdis of rationalism?
The notion of symbol is not Christian in its origin. Every religion, as far as it is concerned with the transcendent Being, has some sort of symbolism. World, in relation with this transcendent Being, needs symbol, in order to make that Being present in the world. So, existential source of symbol is need to, in some way, close the gap of ontological gulf between temporal and atemporal, created and uncreated, God and world. In order to this, symbol needs to take part in both of these realities.
While pagan religions held the tenet that the bridge above the ontological gulf should be found in nature itself, Biblical view offers us something different: nature, being created and having the source of its existence from non-being (Saint Athanasius), does not hold the power to overcome the difference. Bible pictures a man who is crown of the whole creation and mediator, through whom world will inherit eternal life. This life, for both the man and the world, is dependant on relation of love with God, which is to be obtained through freedom only, not through natural necessity. This is why nature by itself can't be the one in which God and world can be united. Freedom of God and freedom of man are both needed in order to build the bridge above the abyss between the two realities.
Knowing this, it is obvious that the source of every Christian understanding of symbol is in the person of Christ. He freely takes the created nature and creates the bridge - which is His own person. In his person created and uncreated, God and man are united in one person, one hypostasis. So, the theological justification for symbolism in Christianity is based on the fact that the Chist itself layed the foundation for it, being the Theanthropos.