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Iconography and Idolatry
The mark of the beast and the vanity of Trump
SCHISMS HAVE DIVIDED THE CHURCH since the time of the Apostles, when Paul and the Church at Jerusalem quarreled over Christians’ — especially gentile Christians — observance of the law. One schism threatened to split the church for two centuries as the first millennium approached. Iconoclasts believed any image of the divine constituted idolatry.
The Pope outlawed icons after a volcanic eruption in the Aegean Sea convinced him God was punishing the church for the spread of icons. The Church was also concerned about the rise of Islam (who also banned images of God and Mohammed). But Leo was also following early Church tradition which permitted symbols such as the fish and the cross, but not images of Jesus.
The early church resisted images of Jesus as idolatrous. They were concerned that people would worship the image, not the savior. A clear example to Christians would be the Romans’ idolatry of their emperors, which they Christians to venerate.
Most likely, however, even Jesus would have resisted images depicting his likeness. He wanted followers devoted to the service of God and those in need. Even the gospels attest Jesus never focused on promoting himself or a religion. His mission was to spread the good news of his father.
