The Cover of AFFECTIONS OF CHRIST JESUS
Talented Iconographer Depicts Paul's Christophany
The Cover of AFFECTIONS OF CHRIST JESUS
I absolutely LOVE the cover of ACJ. It is striking and inspirational. I like the colors, the font, all of it. When the cover design team first sent me the cover image, I was instantly a fan. (And that’s not always the case with cover options from publishers.)
Not all of my book covers have an interesting story worth telling, but this one does, I think. Sometimes, readers ask me how much input I have in the cover. In terms of title, I have a lot of input, since it has to reflect the substance of the book. In terms of design, typically the publisher has a form that authors fill out where they can offer opinions about mood/vibe, colors, and even suggested art. I don’t remember exactly what I told Eerdmans, but I do remember this: #1: I wanted it to evoke, even if in a small way, my previous book Paul and the Language of Faith; #2: I wanted it to have a piece of art (not a photograph), and #3: I wanted it to have strong vibes of warmth, love, and affection (for obvious reasons). They got it perfect!
The artist for the image on the cover of The Affections of Christ Jesus is George Makary. Makary is a talented and passionate Canadian-Egyptian iconographer. Makary has produced dozens and dozens of beautiful images, which you can find HERE. They often involve portraits of the Godhead, Mary and Christ, or scenes from the life of Christ. Makary often takes classic icon scenes and gives them vibrancy and color.
Here is a fun time-lapse video he created which shows the process of his work.
The particular icon used in Affections is a depiction of Paul’s “Christophany.” As Makary himself explains, this story and image marks rebirth, a new beginning for Paul. Here is Makary’s desire for how the image if viewed.
The icon of Paul’s Christophany is a call for the viewer to gaze into the eyes of Christ Himself, to be face to face with Him, and to be baptized in the Light. Thus, despite Paul’s consequent blindness, he is painted with a gaze of fire, pure light, staring into Christ Himself, the source of Light, directing Paul with His hand to go and “be the light of he world.” Resurrection inspired the new life of Paul in his mission to be the light of the world. The icon calls us to pray that we too pursue a new year in and of itself, as Christ is timeless. Father Matthew the Poor says of time, ‘The lifetime of us Christians is measured by the extent of the transformation achieved in our experience of God and through God’s trials’ and ‘Time is powerfully transfigured in the presence of the Lord and a prayerful stance, becoming a channel to immortality’
This image is perfect for how I see Paul, transformed by the love of the Son of God, and empowered to bring the power of love to the world. So, that’s it!