Archangel Sychail, trampling twelve Shakers in the presence of Saints Sisinius and Maron 1850

This Orthodox icon depicts Archangel Sychail trampling twelve Shakers, while Saints Sisinius and Maron bear witness. Rooted in early Byzantine traditions which stretch back to the 4th century, Orthodox icons like this one serve as more than just visual representations. They are windows into the divine, meant to facilitate a direct connection between the viewer and the sacred realm. Here, the Archangel is portrayed as a powerful, masculine figure, physically dominating those deemed heretical. The Shakers, a religious sect known for their ecstatic worship and communal living, are shown crushed beneath his feet, a stark reminder of the Orthodox Church’s views toward religious outsiders. This piece reflects a historical context marked by religious intolerance and the suppression of alternative spiritual practices. Icons like these were not merely decorative, but tools of religious instruction and ideological control. As you contemplate this image, consider the ways in which it reinforces particular power dynamics, and how it may have influenced the perception and treatment of marginalized religious groups.