ORTHODOX ICON AND RELIGIOUS IMAGE. AN INTER-RELIGIOUS ANALYSIS Ioan Emil JURCAN  Abstract: This paper is a comparison between different religious icons, images or symbols. Such an approach is necessary in order to highlight the iconic depth of an authentic Christian theology. Every religion has, as a symbolic element, the idea of struggle and spiritual power, but Orthodoxy implies love and the anastasic meeting with God, rather than the force. I will present several symbols from Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, etc. In these symbols we will seek the common elements that can create a connection between these religions and the Christian world. The orthodox Icon has a line that exceeds any other non-Christian religious symbols. It is about the epectatic dimension that turns art into a ladder of Bethel, an ascent to the infinite Divine, which is not force, fecundity, or abundance, but primarily Love. Keywords: Christianity, Islam, icon, image, Shinto, Hinduism Introduction The terms image and icon need a key element in their mutual relationship, namely the term man. It does not necessarily mean man as an individual, but especially man in his connection with God. Man becomes an image, but he can also achieve the tendency towards the icon. He is an image through creation, but his purpose is to become an icon. The world is therefore based on images, but these images have as a result the path towards the iconic state, towards the state of holiness. The equation icon-image mainly applies to the man with transcendental tendencies, the man in search of the sacred and of holiness. In any religious cult, man needs the sacred image, that is why there are no  PhD, Professor, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia (Faculty of Orthodox Theology), Alba Iulia, Romania.