Does 'words are images' really prove icons?
The analogy shows that material signs can refer to holy realities; it does not erase differences between words, pictures, and rituals.
Key points
- Writing Jesus' name is not the same as painting his face or venerating a painting. Calling both images equivocates.
- The useful shared principle is reference: ink can direct us toward a person without becoming that person.
- Words and pictures work differently, and the legitimacy of revering a Gospel book does not automatically establish every use of a portrait.
- Use the analogy as one step in a larger argument. Do not accuse readers of worshipping paper merely because they reject icon veneration.
- The critic is right to demand a separate account of pictorial representation and devotion. Give the Incarnation and prototype arguments next.