PPT Slide
The Iconoclastic Controversy
From the beginning, the Byzantine emperors played
active roles in the calling of church councils and the
formation of Christian doctrine.
theological crusade against the use of icons, images or
representations of Christ and other religious figures.
The emperor was concerned that icons played too
prominent a role in Byzantine life and that their common
use as godparents, witnesses at weddings, and objects
of adoration violated the Old Testament prohibition of
the worship of graven images. Accordingly, the
emperor ordered the army to destroy icons. This
image-breaking, or iconoclastic, policy sparked a
violent reaction in the western part of the empire,
especially in the monasteries. This eventually caused the East and
West Churches to split; their situation to this day.