by Fr. Peter Pearson

January–March and Eastertide, 2025

Icons have served since the earliest days of Christianity as spiritual aids, and they have enjoyed something of a renaissance of spiritual purpose in recent times. Byzantine iconography is an ancient and deeply prayerful art form in the Christian tradition, dating back nearly to the apostolic times. Over the centuries, it has evolved and developed as the faith spread throughout the world. Iconography follows a highly systematic and disciplined process which has been handed from teacher to student for centuries. It’s also a very comprehensively demanding educational course for those who want to explore and master the technical, historical, and spiritual aspects of this field.

The Visual Arts Ministry presented an exhibition of a selection of sacred icons by Peter Pearson. There are 18 icons in total, each painted with acrylic paint on wooden panels using traditional Byzantine methods and varnished to protect the surface.

About Peter Pearson

Peter Pearson has been on this path for fifty four years, after being introduced to an icon by his elementary school art teacher. He’s painted thousands of icons and has introduced scores of students to the process. He holds an Masters of Divinity in Sacred Theology from Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and recently completed a Doctorate in Sacred Theology with a thesis on Byzantine icons and spirituality.

Peter is the author of three books on iconography—including A Brush with God: An Icon Workbook and Another Brush with God: Further Conversations about Icons—and is working on a fourth. He regularly offers workshops and lectures on iconography around the country. He’s a sought after speaker with enthusiasm and the ability to make complicated issues accessible to every audience. His icons grace the walls of churches, monasteries, and homes throughout the world. Peter is also a priest and a Brother in the Community of Francis and Clare in the Episcopal Church.