Mary, the mother of God, plays a central role in Christian art, and is portrayed in various ways. What do her faces reveal to us believers? Christine Schlesser, Director of the Classical Iconography Institute, explores the figure of Mary in the artistic and iconographic tradition of the Church.

This podcast was recorded as part of Mount Angel Abbey’s Winter/Spring 2025 Christian in the World series. This four-part series introduces the earliest Christian symbolic art that evolved to convey the theology of the Church using the visual language of iconography. We’ll learn how to translate the iconographic language of color, symbolism, and gesture to understand the icon’s encoded message, discuss the performative effect of iconography on becoming an icon of God, and learn how the many beautiful iconographic depictions of Mary invite us to prayer.

This episode of Mount Angel Abbey’s Seek Things Above podcast will soon be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on the Abbey’s website.