Jonathan Pageau

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Jonathan Pageau
Pageau in 2023
Personal details
NationalityCanadian
SpouseCaroline Pagé
Children3
ResidenceMontreal
Alma materUniversité de Sherbrooke
OccupationSculptor
ProfessionArtist, writer, teacher
Websitehttps://1-jonathan-pageau.pixels.com/

Jonathan Pageau is a French-Canadian icon maker.[1] He is also a public speaker on matters related to religion and the Orthodox faith. He is the owner and CEO of The Symbolic World, a publishing and production company.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Pageau's childhood was spent in Montreal, where he says he was strongly shaped by the dominant Catholic culture of that time, but in his 20s, Pageau moved to Africa, with four years in Congo, and three years in Kenya.[3][4]

Before this time in Africa, Pageau attended the Painting and Drawing program at Concordia University in Montreal, where he graduated with distinction.[5] After setting up a studio, he became frustrated by the "aloofness about Contemporary Art" eventually throwing away all his art.[3][5]

Returning from Africa he moved away from Western traditions of Christianity, and has described himself as drawn to icons and traditional Christian imagery.[5] He went on to study Orthodox Theology and Iconology at the University of Sherbrooke.[5]

Artistic career[edit]

Iconography re-kindled Pageau's love for art and, from 2003, he began specialising in wood carving.[5] In addition to creating religious artwork, he teaches exclusive seminars in wood carving and iconography.

He has exhibited his icons in several museums and exhibitions.[1]

Views[edit]

Pageau speaking to delegates at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship in 2023

Pageau is an advocate for a symbolic approach to the world, as well as to the Holy Scriptures.[6] He has therefore developed the concept of the "Symbolic World", which holds that all of reality should be understood as a series of interlocking patterns which embody meaning.[7] According to Pageau, a religious view of the world, as embodied in the writings of the Church Fathers such as Saint Maximus the Confessor, is equally complex, structured, and complete as a worldview founded on science.[8]

He has been a vocal critic of the state of the modern world, which he describes as "diabolic" in the literal sense, referring to the etymology of the word, derived from the Greek verb for "division".[7] Pageau believes that the world has been returning to paganist patterns of thought, with social practices such as euthanasia of the elderly, abortion, androgyny, homosexuality and other pagan traditions making a reappearance in mainstream culture.[8]

Personal life[edit]

In a 2021 interview, Pageau recounted that his family had originally been Catholic, but left to join evangelical communities, with his own father eventually becoming a Baptist pastor.[9][10] The younger Pageau however, become unsatisfied with the theological depth of Protestantism, and looked for deeper themes, found in the first 1,000 years of the church, eventually circling back to Orthodoxy and ultimately converting to the faith.[6][4][9] In his words, "being a Christian artist in a Church without icons, in a post-modern world of cynical modern art, did not make much sense after a certain point."[8]

Jonathan Pageau is said to be close to the Canadian writer and psychologist Jordan Peterson, making various appearances in his podcasts, and has collaborated with the American Catholic Bishop, Robert Barron.[11][12][13]

Published works[edit]

  • Pageau, Jonathan (2022). God's' Dog: Monster. Montreal: Symbolic World Press. ISBN 978-1738726219.
  • Pageau, Jonathan (2023). The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen. Montreal: Symbolic World Press. ISBN 979-8989083107.
  • Pageau, Jonathan (2023). The Symbolism of Snow White. Montreal: Symbolic World Press. ISBN 979-8989083169.
  • Pageau, Jonathan (2024). God's' Dog: Warrior. Montreal: Symbolic World Press.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Jonathan Pageau Archives". Comment Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  2. ^ Taylor, Darrick (2024-04-09). "Jordan Peterson and the Apocalypse". Crisis Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  3. ^ a b Oldfield, Elizabeth. "Jonathan Pageau on icons, political dehumanisation, and befriending Jordan Peterson". Theos Think Tank. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  4. ^ a b Padrnos, Daniel (2023-07-20). "Symbolic Thinking: An Interview w/ Jonathan Pageau, Transcript". First Things Foundation. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  5. ^ a b c d e Carr, Kathleen. "Jonathan Pageau". Catholic Art Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  6. ^ a b Brierley, Justin. "I saw Jordan Peterson at the O2 last night. He's asking all the right questions". Premier Christianity. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  7. ^ a b Dreher, Rod (2024-03-02). "Jonathan Pageau: A Prophet Rises From Quebec and YouTube". europeanconservative.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  8. ^ a b c Κορνάρου, Μαρία (2023-11-22). "Ἡ Ὀρθοδοξία εἶναι τό τελευταῖο ὀχυρό τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ»". Αντίφωνο (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  9. ^ a b Jacobsen, Scott (2023-06-22). "An Interview with Jonathan Pageau (1)". In-Sight Publishing. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  10. ^ Parker, John. "A Discussion with Jonathan Pageau - Lord, Send Me | Ancient Faith Ministries". www.ancientfaith.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  11. ^ Oldfield, Elizabeth. "‎The Sacred: Jonathan Pageau on icons, political dehumanisation, and befriending Jordan Peterson transcript on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  12. ^ East, Brad (2024-05-08). "Digital Lectors for a Postliterate Age". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  13. ^ Barron, Bishop Robert (2021-10-13). "How to live a meaningful life". The Catholic Voice. Retrieved 2024-05-21.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jonathan_Pageau&oldid=1224939063"