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Icondulism: Reaching Out and Touching Greg Uttinger

defended their place in theorthodox ately with the iconodulism, for he sawit faith. as .'' Theological and philosophical Leo at first legislated onlyagainst considerations were also at work: com the worship of images (A.D. 726): he promises with Hellenistic philosophy, insisted that the images be put up out of even grievous ones. But particularly Neoplatonism, allowed the reach oftouch and kiss. But later he in time thechurch will repent of those for a new spin on . Icons brought struck out against their use altogether. mistakes. And in time the branches of the transcendent down to man; form When the patriarch of Constantinople thechurch that won't repent will be became incarnate in the blessed particu opposed his policies, Leo deposed him pruned and finally cut off.' lars, and man haddivinity at his finger from office (730). In A.D. 787, the Empress Irene tips ... a convenientthing for those in Whythe Emperor Leo decided to open convened a council of bishops at Nicea.- and state who saw themselves as a campaignagainst them [iconsl is It has generally been recognized asthe the vicars ofChrist. More ofthis later. not entirelyclearand hasbeen much "Seventh " ofthe debated. It is noted that he was not ancient church. That council committed The Iconoclastic a Greek but was from the East and it a grievous error, one that the churches Controversy Begins has been suggested that, having been of theReformation rejected: it insisted IconocLism isthe nametheology feced with the taunts ofMoslems and on theveneration of images. gives to the willful destructionof icons Jews that Christians were idolaters, he on religious or political grounds. What wished to remove theground forthat Iconodulism wecall the Iconoclastic Controversy charge and thusto facilitate winning By the700s, popular religion, thesupport of Moslems andJews for began in the East early in the eighth especially in the Ease, had embraced the Empire ... Leo isreported to have century. It lasted more than a hundred the making and venerating of images. been moved aswell bya desire to make years, and the results of that conflict In theological terms, thiswas iconodu the throne master ofthe Church, to reducethe powerof the monks, and to lism, giving dula (veneration) to icons, eventually touched the entirechurch. They are stillwith us today. eliminate thecontrol ofeducation by pictures ofChrist, theVirgin Mary, the the Church ... Some have seen in the apostles, and the othersaints.^ Practi Leo (III) the Isaurian was the first of the iconoclastic emperors. Leo came iconoclastic movement primarily an cally speaking, the roots of this practice effort at religious reform.' were in the olderpaganism. Once to the throne of Byzantium in 717 and became a legal and politi had to deal almost immediately with R.J. Rushdoonyemphasizes the cally popular religion, many nominal Muslim lorces at his gates. Leo stub political angle, and certainly it was not converts, sometimes menof great bornlyand effectively resisted the siege, lacking.'' Kenneth Scott Latourette ad prominence, broughttheirattachment employing his Bulgarian allies against dresses it as well: to religious images with them into the Muslim armies and chemical warfare The contest was in part from the the church. The images were justified ("Greek fire") against theirsupport convictionof many churchmen and as teaching tools, for mostmen and ingfleet. Epidemics and violent storms especially of monks that the Church women were illiterate. Soon the im battered the Muslim forces, and after shouldbe independent of the state, at least in matters of (aich and religious ages were seenas devotional aids, crude twelve months theywithdrew. Leo was practice, and the equally determined symbols for a crude, unlearned piety. In able to turn his attention to civil and re purposeof the Emperors to assert their time the Eastern monasteries became ligious reform. The frightening eruption authority overthe Church. Monks, insistenton their use and profited from of the island volcano Thera in 726 may who had separated themselves from the their creation. Eastern theologians, too. have spurred him on to deal immedi world, were particularly active in their

vvww.chalcedon.edu January/February 2009 | Faithfor AllofLife opposition to the -forbidding Em Gregory called together a Roman synod woerests upon both, because theyerr perors. The Emperors may have wished that pronouncedexcommunication with Arius, Dioscorus, and Eutyches, to curb monasteries because the latter against any who destroyed or removed and with the heresy oftheAcephali. drewso many men from the service of icons (731). Leo retaliated by transfer When, however, theyareblamed thestate and, tax-exempt, reduced the forundertaking to depict thedivine imperial revenues. The army often sided ringthe Greek bishoprics in Italy and Sicily to the jurisdiction of the patriarch nature ofChrist, which should not be with theiconoclasts, apparently because depicted, they take refuge in theexcuse: it wished itshead, theEmperor, to be ofConstantinople. Butthe province of We represent only the flesh of supremeand to be reverenced without Ravenna would not cooperate, and Leo which we have seen and handled. But the rivalry of veneration for the icons.^ lost a fleet in his efforts to subdue it. that is a Nestorian error. For it should Rushdoony argues that thepolitical Leo spentthe last years of his life ending be considered that that flesh was also conflict was funciamentally a manifesta the Muslim threat to hisempire. theflesh ofGod the Word, without any tion of Neoplatonic theology. separation, perfectly assumed bythe The Iconoclast Council divine nature andmade wholly divine. Neo-Platonism infected both church UponLeo's deathin 741, his young Howcould it now beseparated and and state. For ecclesiastical Neo- son Constannne came to the throne. represented apart? ...Whoever,then, Platonism, the church as the realm of He continued his father's waragainst makes an image ofChrist, either depicts spirit, represented the higher order... icons, writingon Christological grounds theGodhead which cannot bedepicted, For political Neo-Platonism, the state against their use. In 754 Constantine and mingles it with the manhood(like represents the logos or structure of theMonophysites), orhe represents the summoned a council to denounce being.® bodyof Christasnot made divine and iconodulism. It did so with these words: Both church and state saw them separate and asa person apart, like the Wherefore we thought it right, to shew Nestorians. selves as manifestations ofChrist, as forth withall accuracy, in our present extensions ofHis Incarnation. And so definition the error ofsuch as make and The only admissible figure ofthehu each tried to sever the other from its venerate these, for it is the unanimous manityof Christ, however, is breadand claims to represent divine immanence: doctrineof allthe holyFathers and of winein the holySupper. This and no eachtried to destroy the others icons. thesix Ecumenical Synods, that no one other form, this andnoothertype, has mayimagine any kind ofseparation or he chosen to represent hisincarnation. There were thus two institutional incar nations in the world, church and state, mingling in opposition to the unsearch Bread heordered to bebrought, but not able, unspeakable, andincomprehen a representation of the human form, so and in both East and West there was a struggle on the partof both to limit sible union ofthe two natures in the thatidolatry might not arise. And as the one hypostasis or person. What avails, body of Christ is madedivine, so also the extent ofthe incarnation ofthe other. The iconoclastic controversy was then, the folly of the painter, who from thisfigure of the bodyof Christ,the the form thestruggle took in theEast. sinfial love ofgain depicts thatwhich bread, ismadedivine bythe descent of Both sides were iconodules, venera should not bedepicted—that is, with the Holy Spirit; it becomes thedivine tors oficons; theimperial party simply his polluted hands he tries to fashion bodyof Christby the mediation of the became iconoclastic with reference to that whichshould onlybebelieved priest who, separating theoblation from the church.' in the heart and confessed with the that which is common, sanctifies it... mouth? He makes an image and calls it PopeGregoryII denounced Leo's Christ. The name Christ signifies God Christianity has rejected the whole of : heaccused him ofignor and man. Consequently it isan image heathenism, andsonot merely heathen ing the councils and the Fathers and ofGodandman, andconsequently he sacrifices, butalso the heathen worship of casting a stumbling block before the has in his foolish mind, in his represen ofimages. TheSaints live oneternally weak, who needed the icons as props tationof thecreated flesh, depicted the withGod,although they have died. If to their faith. Leo responded withan Godhead which cannot be represented, anyone thinks to call them back again appeal to the silence of the first six and thusmingled whatshould not be to life bya dead art,discovered bythe mingled. Thus he is guilty ofa double heathen, he makes himselfguilty of ecumenical councils on the matter and blasphemy—the onein making an blasphemy. Whodares attempt with withan assertion of his own authority image of theGodhead, and theotherby heathenish art to paint theMother of in both church and state. "He threat mingling theGodhead and manhood. God, who is exalted above all heavens ened to destroy the image ofSt. Peter Those fell intothesame blasphemy and theSaints? It isnot permitted to at Rome and to imprison the pope."'" who venerate theimage, andthesame Christians, who have thehope ofthe

20 Faithfor AllofLife \ January/February 2009 www.chalcedon.edu resurrection, to imitate the customs of honourable Angels, ofall Saints andof who saythat Christiansresort to the demon-worshippers, and to insultthe all pious people. Forbyso much more sacred images asto . Anathema to Saints, who shinein sogreat glory, by frequently as theyareseen in artistic thosewhosaythat any other delivered common dead matter." representation, byso much more read us from idols except Christour God. ily are menlifted up to the memory of Anathemato thosewho dare to say The Councils argument from theirprototypes, and to a longing after that at any time the CatholicChurch orthodox isweak, and them,and to these shouldbegiven due received idols. its understanding of the HolySupper salutation and honoruable reverence ... Those who would not salute the as a continuance ofthe Incarnation not indeed thattrueworship of faith icons were anathematized. "Orthodoxy" isabsolutely wrong. But the Council ... which pertains aloneto thedivine now required the veneration of im denounced theveneration of images nature, but to these, asto the figure of ages.'^ But ifChrist is in theimage, the as idolatryon the level of the older the precious and life-giving Cross and requirement is not without reason. paganism.'- In this, at least, it is to be to the Book of the Gospels and to the otherholyobjects, incense and lights commended. may beoffered according to ancient The Arguments ofthe Iconodules Henry Chadwick summarizes the TheTideTurns pious custom. Forthe honourwhich is paid to the image passes on to that arguments of the iconodules as follows: Constantine counted his council as which the image represents, and hewho the Seventh Ecumenical Council. But a) We venerate not the icons but those reveres the image reveres in it thesub whom theydepict; Constantinople had no patriarch at the ject represented. Forthus theteaching b) Honour addressed to Christ's time, and Alexandria, Antioch, and Je ofour holy Fathers, that isthetradition servants the saints is relative, not an rusalem were underArab rule. The pope ofthe , which from sent no representatives. one end ofthe earth to the other hath absoluteworship; In 775 the throne passed to Leo IV, received , isstrengthened ... c) Icons area necessary consequence of but his own prematuredeath five years the invocation ofsaints; later leftthe Empireto hissix-year-old Those, therefore who dare to think or d) If value isascribed to relics, whynot teach otherwise, or as wicked heretics to also to icons? son. The queen mother, Irene, assumed spurn the traditions of theChurch and the regency and ran the Empire. She e) The second commandment was to invent somenovelty, or else to reject onlytemporary legislation; moved quickly to restore iconodulism. some of those things which theChurch f) Icons aid devotions and are In 787 she convened a council at Nicea: hathreceived (e.g., the Book of the the council not only declared icon wor Gospels, or the image of thecross, or universally used."* ship to be orthodox, it declared it to be the pictorial icons, or the holy reliques What shall wesayto these things? mandatory. Here iswhat the council of a martyr), or evilly and sharply to First, the argument that,worship devise anything subversive of the lawful wrote: passes from the image to God Himself is traditions ofthe Catholic Church or to the basic assumption of paganism. Few We, therefore, following the royal path turn to common uses the sacred vessels sophisticated pagans actually believed wayand the divinely inspired authority or the venerable monastries, if they be of our Holy Fathers and the traditions Bishops or Clerics, wecommand that that the statues were gods. They were ofthe Catholic Church (for, as we all they bedeposed; if religious or laics, points of contact, means of communica know, the HolySpiritindwells her), de thatthey becutofffrom communion.'^ tion,ways of reaching out and touching fine with allcertitudeand accuracy that the divine.And it was in exactly this The acclamation from the members justasthe figure of the precious and context of pagan thoughtthat God of the Council is noteworthy: life-giving Cross, so also the venerable forbade idols, whether they were images and holyimages, aswell in painting and Wesalute the venerable images. We of false gods or images of Himself. as ofother fit materials, should place underanathema those whodo not Second, though God allows us to beset forth in the holy churches of do this.Anathemato them who pre bow in respect to other men—being the God, and on the sacred vessels and on sumeto apply to the venerable images true image ofGod—Heforbids us to the vestments and on hangings and in the things said in the HolyScripture treat them as divine, and He forbids us pictures both in houses and by the way about idols. Anathema to those who side, to wit, the figure ofour Lord God do notsalute theholyand venerable to bowto anyimage of them. Indeed, and Saviour Christ,of our spot images. Anathema to those who call the He forbids usto bowdownto the image less Lady, the Mother of God, of the sacred images idols. Anathema to those of any creature at all.

www.chalcedon.edu January/February 2009 | Faithfor AllofLife 21 Third and fourth, icons, relics, Sixth, whether or not icons are feelings. It will not chide; it will not and the invocationof saints do belong devotional aidsis the very question at command; it will not rebuke.^' Images together. To Protestants, at least, this is issue. If God does not approve of them, aredumb. Andyetfor thisvery reason an argumentagainstthe useof icons. then theydo not aid personal devotion idols aretools of the power state: for if They belong to themagic ofpagan and pietyat all—no matter how would- "God" will not speak, then someone priestcraft, notto thegracious gospel of beworshippers may feel when theyuse mustspeak for him,asJeroboam and JesusChrist. them.The claim for the "universality his rag-tag priests knew onlytoowell. Fifth, the second commandment is of their use" iscertainly overstated, but Image worship, whether in its most by its very nature eternal. God is tran in ages of apostasy many superstitious blatant or mostsophisticated forms, scendent and invisible in His essence and useless practices find a wide recep assumes a continuitybetween the divine (John 1:18). Thoughall ofcreation tionwithinChristendom. That large and thehuman, and thehuman in ques reflects something ofHisglory. Hedoes numbers of professed Christians clung tion isusually the state. Christianity, not look like anything He has made to these images only makes the issue a on the other hand, insists on a radical (Isa. 40:18, 25;46:5; Acts 17:29). Any more pressing one to understandBibli discontinuity between God and man, attempt to portray Him in visible terms cally; it doesnot, in itself, cell uswho is between the Creator and the creature. must necessarily misrepresent who He right. For that, we need the . We Only inJesus Christ did God become is. Anypictureof God is, therefore, a need to listen to what Godactually says. man,and that without anyconfiision lie (Hab. 2:18; Isa. 44:20; Rom. 1:25). ofsubstance. And Christ comes to us In the , as in the Old, Epilogue:The Natural Logic in Hisgospel, not in images and icons. idolatry issin (1 Cor. 5:10-11; Rev. ofImageWorship This is the Christianity of the first six 21:8; 22:15). But does the second com The attempt to worship the God councils; it isalso theChristianity of the mandmentapplyto pictures ofJesus in ofthe Bible through images isancient. . • First, therewas Aaron: "These be thy His humanity? Greg Uttinger teaches theology, history, and gods,^® O Israel, which brought thee up In the person ofJesus Christ, God literature at Cornerstone Christian School tookon truehumanity: He became vis out oftheland of Egypt" (Exod. 32:4). in Roseville, California. He lives nearby in ible. Men saw Him; they touched Him. Five hundred years laterJeroboam tried Sacramento Countywith his wife, Kate, and He was not an apparition or a phantom. thesame pitchasa political move to their three children. It might be argued, then, thatalthough maintain his newly acquired kingdom 1. See Romans 11 and Revelation 2-3. we cannot pictureChrist's deity, wecan (1 Kings 12:28). BothAaron and Jeroboam were pointing at a golden calf. 2. This was not the same Council ofNicea and may picture Hishumanity.'^ that in A.D. 325 produced the famous But Jesus Christ is a divine person. Now no one actually thought that God Christological , His human and divine natures can was a calf. The calfwas justa reminder: 3. Roman Catholic theologians make a dis not beseparated. This,as Leos council it was strongand powerftil; like God, it tinction between dula, veneration or honor, argued, was the heresy of the Nestori- providedso much—meat and leather, and , the worship that may begiven to ans.'® Ifwe portray Christ's humanity, pulling andcarrying. More thanthat, it God only. See Rushdoonys comments in weportray Hisperson. Ifweportray was the chiefof the sacrificial animals. Foundations ofSocial Orrf^r (Vallecito, CA: Jesus of Nazareth, we portray theSon of AndGod used gold in theTabernacle Ross House Books, 1998 edition), 158. God, the Creator ofthe universe. The andTemple. Sogolden cherubim, 4. Medieval culture still regarded earth Reformed and Presbyterian confessions, golden lampstand ... why notgolden quakes anderupting volcanoes assigns of Gods wrathagainst sin. following similar logic, see such portray lamb, or golden calf? The answer is, 5. Kenneth Scott haxonttxit, AHistory of als as violations ofthe second com because God said. No. mandment.''^ Lutheran and Anglican Christianity, Be^nnin^ to 1500 (Peabody, Man in his rebellion wants to wor MA: Prince Press, 1975), 293. traditions demur, however,as do most ship his own creative power. Hewants 6. See "Iconodulism" in R. J. Rushdoony, American evangelicals. But when it to find divinity withinhimself; and Foundations ofSocial Order (n.p.: Presbyte comes tobowing down tosuch images sohe makes "God" in his own image. rian and Reformed Publishing Company, or lighting candles before them, there What he finds in his idol or talisman 1968). should be no argument: the second or icon is exactly himself The image 7. Latourette, 293. commandment has not been abrogated. reflects back his own thoughts and Continued onpuge 31

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