Where did icons come from? Why do we have icons in the Orthodox Church? Why are they painted so differently from other pictures? What do the parts of an icon symbolize? Answering these and many other questions, Story of Icons is an excellent introduction to the meaning of icons and the part they play in worship. The book tells the story of the origins of icons, from the catacombs to the iconoclastic conflict and the triumph of icons that ended in the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The author explains why icons are painted as they are. The second half of the book is devoted to explaining the icons for the feast days of Christ and the Virgin Mary, teaching how to "read" the icons for the story that each tells.