Imago Dei：The Byzantine Apologia for Icons

In726theByzantineemperor,LeoIII,issuedanedictthatallreligiousimagesintheempireweretobedestroyed,adirectivethatwaslaterendorsedbyasynodoftheChurchin753underhisson,ConstantineV.IfthepolicyofIconoclasmhadsucceeded,theentirehistoryofChristianart-andoftheChristianchurch,atleastintheEast-wouldhavebeenaltered.Iconoclasmwasdefeated-byByzantinepolitics,bypopularrevolts,bymonasticpiety,and,mostfundamentallyofall,bytheology,justasithadbeentheologythattheopponentsofimageshadusedtojustifytheiractions.Analyzinganintriguingchapterinthehistoryofideas,therenownedscholarJaroslavPelikanshowshowafaiththatbeganbyattackingtheworshipofimagesendedfirstinpermittingandthenincommandingit.PelikanchartsthetheologicaldefenseoficonsduringtheIconoclasticcontroversiesoftheeighthandninthcenturies,whosehighpointcameinA.D.787,whentheSecondCouncilofNicaearestoredthecultofimagesinthechurch.HedemonstrateshowthedogmasoftheTrinityandtheIncarnationeventuallyprovidedthebasicrationaleforimages:becausetheinvisibleGodhadbecomehumanandthereforepersonallyvisibleinJesusChrist,itbecamepermissibletomakeimagesofthatImage.AndbecausenotonlythehumannatureofChrist,butthatofhisMotherhadbeentransformedbytheIncarnation,she,too,couldbe"iconized",togetherwithalltheothersaintsandangels.Theiconographic"text"ofthebookisprovidedbyoneoftheveryfewsurvivingiconsfromtheperiodbeforeIconoclasm,theEgyptiantapestryIconoftheVirginnowintheClevelandMuseumofArt.Othericonsservetoillustratethetheologicalargument,justasthetheologicalargumentservestoexplaintheicons.Inanewforeword,JudithHerrindiscussestheenduringimportanceofthebook,providesabriefbiographyofPelikan,anddiscusseshowlaterscholarshavebuiltonhiswork.