What is an example of iconoclasm?

Iconoclasm literally means “image breaking” and refers to a recurring historical impulse to break or destroy images for religious or political reasons. For example, in ancient Egypt, the carved visages of some pharaohs were obliterated by their successors; during the French Revolution, images of kings were defaced.

Does iconoclasm mean image breaking?

Iconoclasm, Greek for “image-breaking,” is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture’s own religious icons and other symbols or monuments.

What religions are iconoclastic?

In the 8th century, the Eastern or Orthodox branch of Christianity gave history the word iconoclasm, from the Greek words for “icon smashing.” In Orthodox Christianity, ikons–images of God, Mary, saints, and martyrs– are more than just paintings or mosaics: they are holy objects in of themselves and worthy of …

What is the opposite of iconoclast?

Opposite of a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions. conformer. conformist. believer. conservative.

Who is an iconoclast person?

Definition of iconoclast 1 : a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions. 2 : a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration. Other Words from iconoclast Synonyms & Antonyms For the Meaning of Iconoclast, Break It Down Example Sentences Learn More About iconoclast.

What is the heresy of iconoclasm?

Iconoclastic Controversy, a dispute over the use of religious images (icons) in the Byzantine Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries. The defenders of the use of icons insisted on the symbolic nature of images and on the dignity of created matter.

Who practiced iconoclasm?

The two periods of iconoclasm in the Byzantine Empire during the 8th and 9th centuries made use of this theological theme in discussions over the propriety of images of holy figures, including Christ, the Virgin (or Theotokos) and saints.

What’s wrong with iconoclasm?

In the eyes of the Israelites, the erection of images meant the destruction of divine presence; in the eyes of the Egyptians, this same effect was attained by the destruction of images. In Egypt, iconoclasm was the most terrible religious crime; in Israel, the most terrible religious crime was idolatry.

Who is a famous iconoclast?

Berns profiles people such as Walt Disney, the iconoclast of animation; Natalie Maines, an accidental iconoclast; and Martin Luther King, who conquered fear. Berns says that many successful iconoclasts are made not born. For various reasons, they simply see things differently than other people do.

What is the word iconoclastic mean?

1 : a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions. 2 : a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration.

Who started iconoclasm?

Emperor Leo III
The First Iconoclasm, as it is sometimes called, existed between about 726 and 787. The Second Iconoclasm was between 814 and 842. According to the traditional view, Byzantine Iconoclasm was started by a ban on religious images by Emperor Leo III and continued under his successors.