The breaking of images; the religious controversy of the 8th century; the Byzantine emperor attempted, but failed, to suppress icon veneration is known as what?

• A. Monasticism
• B. Iconoclasm
• C. Orthodoxy
• D. Heresy

Answer: (B)

Iconoclasm refers to the 8th-century Byzantine controversy over religious images. It started when emperors argued that venerating icons amounted to idolatry and sought to remove or destroy these images. This policy, backed by the so-called iconoclasts, aimed to suppress icon worship, while opponents—the iconophiles—defended icons as helpful aids to devotion and teaching. The effort to erase icon veneration did not endure; strong resistance from monks, clergy, and many laypeople helped overturn the policy, leading to the restoration of icon veneration and eventually official acceptance of icons in Byzantine worship. The term literally means image breaking.