Icons throughout the Ages

The definition of an icon has changed over time, but in the Byzantine Empire during the period of 726-843 BC the iconoclasts held a distinct idea of what negated an icon. Some referred to it as, “an object of devotion when its quickness is being negated” (Dimmick 26). In this sense, people thought that the objects were alive, when in fact the icon was an inanimate object. Others thought it held otherworldly characteristics, “a version of the duplicity of all human [artifacts], which inevitably overstate their capacity to shed blessing” (Dimmick 26). The idea of making a pilgrimage to the holy land became very important in church society. Often times, people would bring back objects that they thought possessed the power to bless people when they touched or prayed to them. For example, they thought the objects came from a saint, "these relics were either the body of the holy person, or an object or place that had been in contact with that body, or a secondary material that had been brought into contact with an object empowered by that body" (Barber 36). The bodies of saints were highly prized, along with objects that the saints may have touched in their lifetime. These objects gave people hope in uncertain times. People would often distinguish themselves with these images, “the subject organizes its identity by identifying with an image of itself and using this ‘self-image’ to recognize and compare itself with similars” (Dimmick 27). Ultimately, this led to the people having fantasies to the icons having a likeness to images that they could recognize in their day-to-day lives. People who mourned lost ones also sought out images, “the image’s status as image is the source of its ability to demystify as well as memorialize the hold of...

... middle of paper ...

...ly Spirit?" (Gutmann 1). Having icons, over time, acted as a blessing towards the church. Later on, texts were added to the icons, which underlined "verbal prophecy by including text within the image, and finally [inserted] the iconic presentation of one aspect of the Godhead... drawing a theoretical distinction between the visible and the invisible" (Barber 69). This provided a more accurate representation of the icons, by intoning the words of the bible to the images. Pope Gregory I fully agreed with implementing these icons into churches, "they were introduced on account of the transitory nature of memory, because those things which are only heard fall into oblivion more easily than those things which are seen" (Gutmann 84). It allowed the public to learn their faith more effectively through the icons represented in churches.

Works Cited

Barber

Gutmann

Dimmick