Iconodule, Worship of Idols?
An Analysis of Byzantine Iconoclasm and Development of the Theology of Icons in the Eastern Orthodox Church
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62926/jtct.v2i1.85Keywords:
Eastern Orthodox, iconoclasm, iconodulia, idolatry, theology of iconsAbstract
This paper examines the common presumption that iconodulia, or religious devotion to icons, in Eastern Orthodox Churches constitutes idolatry. While often misinterpreted as worship of inanimate objects, Eastern Orthodox theology upholds that iconodulia aligns with apostolic tradition and does not violate the biblical prohibition against graven images (Ex. 20:4-5; Deut. 5:8-9). This study explores the historical and theological development of Eastern Orthodox theology of icons, focusing on Byzantine iconoclasm (726-843). I structure the discussion into five sections: the historical background of Byzantine iconoclasm, the first wave of iconoclasm, the Second Council of Nicaea, the second wave of iconoclasm, and a theological analysis of iconodulia’s compatibility with apostolic tradition. The findings suggest that iconodulia, distinguished from idolatry through the concepts of proskunesis, latreia, eidolon, and eikon, coheres with Christian prohibition against idolatry. Thus the paper reaffirms iconodulia as a legitimate expression of Christian spirituality rooted in apostolic teaching.
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