Iconoclasm and the restoration of icons
Imperial campaigns against icons met theological and monastic resistance. The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 defended honorable veneration of images, and the final restoration of icons in Constantinople in 843 is remembered as the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
Historical context
The council of 787 did not end the conflict; a later iconoclastic phase continued into the ninth century. The history also includes coercion and persecution.
Key points
- The icon defense appeals to the real visibility of the incarnate Christ.
- The council distinguished veneration shown to an image from worship owed to God alone.
Scripture
- Colossians 1:15 — Christ is called the image of the invisible God.
Primary sources
The council anathematizes the assertion:
Nicaea II rejects treating sacred images as gods, directly marking a boundary between icon veneration and divine worship.
Anathema to those who say that Christians resort to the sacred images as to gods.
Passage context and translation
The council's definition distinguishes reverence given to an icon from worship reserved for the divine nature. A similar but differently worded sentence earlier on this page belongs to Basil of Ancyra's confession, not the council's definition.
Before the excerpt
Anathema to those who call the sacred images idols.
After the excerpt
Anathema to those who say that any other delivered us from idols except Christ our God.