HIST-102 Lecture 42: Leo I's Decree
10 Oct 2020
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Document Summary
This dispute, like christianity itself, originated in the eastern mediterranean. Icons had first appeared in christian worship in egypt and spread outward from there; whether statuary, painting, or mosaic, these images played an important role in propagating the faith. People who could not read the bible could still learn the story of jesus" passion, for example, by following a pictorial narrative of it. Icons also provided a target for one"s concentration in prayer; focusing on an image of the. Virgin mary, for example, when praying for her intercession, helped to intensify the spiritual experience. Over the centuries, many christians had taken this commandment literally and had opposed any attempt to portray christ and his saints in art: a second concern centered on the people using the images. Disagreement between iconodules (those favoring the use of icons) and iconoclasts (those opposed to them) reached its climax, and turned violent, in the eighth century.
