A Brief History of Iconoclasm

By Andrew Pearcy

The issue of iconoclasm has been a very strong point of contention within the Christian church for a very long time, longer than most Christians realize. But before a proper history of this issue can be given, a thorough definition of it must be provided first.

The idea of iconoclasm as it pertains to the church revolves around the role that images, or icons, should play within the church itself. Originally, images were encouraged as they were used to illustrate stories and important events from the Bible, but controversy erupted when some people felt that the images were being worshipped as idols, creating a massive schism within the church. The controversy itself did not just focus on images, but also on any symbol or ritual such as communion or baptism. The word “iconoclasm” itself means, “to destroy icons,” which makes it a very suitable word to describe the controversy as some wished to do away with icons completely and others wished to keep them. 

The earliest controversy against icons or idols within the Judeo-Christian tradition stems from God’s exhortation to Moses and the Israelites: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:4) This verse, besides being a prohibition against icons, has been the basis for most arguments on the subject, and it does hold some weight considering that it is one of the ten commandments given by God to the Israelites. A very long time passed before this issue came again up in 305 at the Synod of Elvira where it was banned for fear of any images being worshiped as idols. The fortunes of the iconoclasts’ cause was reversed some 300 years later at the Third Council of Constantinople where iconography was encouraged because it helped people remember the suffering of Christ, his death, and his resurrection.

Some years after this decree, in one of the darkest periods in Christian history, Byzantine Emperor Leo III decided to strictly enforce the Second Commandment listed above and began to destroy every icon or religious image which he or his troops could find within the Empire. But his reform was not without fierce resistance from very devout believers who were not afraid to oppose him. Many thousands of them were killed for defending their icons. This conflict lasted well into the 800s and spread throughout the whole confines of the Christian world, even making it into the court of Constantine where his lead cleric, Alcuin of York, was given the task of writing a lengthy treatise refuting the idea of iconography altogether.
Once these turbulent times had passed, the issue remained dormant until the Protestant Reformation, when many of the Church’s teachings and practices as a whole were being questioned, including the worship of saints. Many reformers such as Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, and Erasmus all wrote against icons in any form and their followers took their messages to heart. These reform-minded iconoclasts destroyed or painted over any religious item they came across- be they paintings, statues, or frescoes. This activity was largely confined to Continental Europe, excepting Scotland, which engaged in widespread destruction of images. England, unlike the rest of Europe, was spared temporarily from the aftershocks of the Reformation, until the Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, took power by deposing and executing King Charles I and forcing his family into exile. The Puritans gained notoriety for their rigorous practice of Reformation principles, in large part due to their challenging of anything that even remotely seemed heretical. Thus England lost many of its shrines and statuary during this period, although some of it did survive and has been restored. 

The issue of iconoclasm in the Church today is a relatively quiet one without all of the death and destruction perpetuated by our spiritual forebears, but for better or worse the tensions between the two camps still continue to arise from time to time. Most Protestant Christians today know little or nothing about the historical debate over iconoclasm. Few can even define the term, but when you ask us about Catholics the first thing we generally say is often a derogatory comment towards what we consider to be their worship of saints. But if we knew the reasons behind the issues or our statements, we might think a little more before making such a hasty judgement.

John Calvin once said, “Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.” We are all capable of creating an idol of something, so we would do well to hear out the Catholic position on the role of images in Christian worship. Even if we continue to protest the related doctrines and practices, we would serve the biblical cause of unity in the visible church and further the cause of civility in society by allowing our brothers in Christ to join us in an open dialogue about our common faith.

Andrew Pearcy is a student of Literature and History at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN.