The Iconoclast Controversy was a significant theological and political dispute in the Byzantine Empire during the 8th and 9th centuries, centered around the use and veneration of religious images. This conflict led to two periods of intense iconoclasm, ultimately resulting in the affirmation of the veneration of icons at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 and having profound effects on Byzantine culture and the Orthodox Church.

Iconoclast Controversy

Theological and political dispute

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was a continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centered around its capital of Constantinople. It played a crucial role in preserving classical knowledge and Christian culture, and its influence extended into the development of Orthodox Christianity and the cultural heritage of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Byzantine Empire

8th and 9th centuries

Use and veneration of religious images

Periods of intense iconoclasm

Veneration Of Icons

The Second Council of Nicaea, held in 787 AD, was the seventh ecumenical council of the Christian Church and marked the end of the first phase of the Iconoclast Controversy by restoring the veneration of icons. This council affirmed the use of religious images and established that icons should be venerated but not worshipped, distinguishing between veneration (dulia) and worship (latria).

Concepts

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