Iconoclast Controversy

I decided to write my paper on Byzantine art and in my digging and just familiarizing myself with the style preparing for this paper, I came across a period in time that I had not heard of before, The Iconoclast Controversy. This controversy was a sad time in history when Christians actually fought other Christians. They fought over Icons and whether or not idolatry was setting in over the icons. Many Christians, especially the higher up leaders of the church believe that the people were taking the icons too far, and actually had begun worshiping the paintings and statues themselves instead of the God they represented. So the leaders decided to ban the Icons and order all of them to be taken out of church's and the paintings be whited out. This did not set well with the common folk and lower church leaders. They believed their freedom to worship was being taken away. To the point that when some of the men who were just doing their job and taking down the art were trampled to death.

Relief did not come until Constantine V's grandson took the throne at a young age forcing his mother, Irene, to serve as regent. She was able to smooth over the controversy better than anyone else had been able to. She allowed images to be used in worship on if they were recognized that they were different from God Himself.