Monks and Emperors: 700–800

Bobby Howell

Christian History • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

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Introductory Matters:

The Iconoclastic Controversy

The Use of Images in Worship

Authority and the Church

Life Under Islam

Rise of the Papal States

Viking Invaders

The Rise of Charlemagne, the Carolingian Renaissance, and the Holy Roman Empire

“When the armies of Islam came marching out of the Arabian desert, a new world was born. In the first 600 years after Jesus’s death and resurrection, Christianity had set up its victorious banners across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East creating ‘Christendom.’ (Christendom means ‘the Christian domain’—a group of nations and territories which, despite political and cultural differences, were united by the fact that Christianity was the public faith in each of them.) However, in the 7th century, Christendom suddenly found its most ancient lands being conquered, and its civilization supplanted, by the fresh, dynamic, and militant religion of Muhammad. Some historians have argued that this marked the true beginning of the Middle Ages.” (Needham, 2,000 Years of Christ’s Power, vol. 2, 15)

I. East

A. Icons

Icons “are flat pictures, usually painted in egg tempera on wood, but also wrought in mosaic, ivory, and other materials, to represent Christ, the BVM, or another saint, which are venerated in the E. Church. As it is believed that through them the saints exercise their beneficent powers, they preside at all important events of human life and are held to be powerful channels of grace.”

Icons are images Of Christ, BVM, and saints

Icons are believed to give the saints’ power to believers

1. Islamic and Jewish Influence

Islam and Judaism are both monotheistic religions, and one of the unique marks of these two religions is their failure to use images (or, icons) to worship.

Two potential reasons Emperor Leo III (717–740) thought the Church’s use of images prevented the Muslims and Jews from conversion and potentially made them more angry toward the Christians.

2. Manichaeism and Monophysite Influence

If matter is evil, then certainly images are evil. Likewise, Monophysites focus almost exclusively on the divinity of Christ and thus had no need for any representation of his humanity.

3. Emperor Leo III forbids Icons

Leo III prevented Omar (or, Umar) II (Caliph from 717–720) and the Muslim armies from advancing, no doubt winning the love and support of his empire.

Either way, Emperor Leo III declared icons illegal. On 726, Emperor Leo III destroyed a golden icon of Christ at the palace in Constantinople.

The citizens were not happy, and apparently a group of women became so outraged they beat the officer who broke the icon to death with mops and brooms, all of whom were subsequently executed.

4. Key Terms for the Iconoclastic Controversy

a. People who were against icons were called iconoclasts (icon-breakers)

b. People who were for icons were called iconodules (icon-venerators) or iconophiles (icon-lovers)

B. Iconoclasm

Two individuals fought fiercely against Emperor Leo’s edict against the icons.

1. Patriarch Germanus (c. 640–c. 733)

Apparently Germanus of Constantinople was a prolific hymn-writer.

Emperor Leo III removed Germanus from the patriarchy and replaced him with the iconoclast Anastasius (730–735)

2. John of Damascus (c. 655–c. 750)

John of Damascus “the most outstanding Christian figure who lived and worked under Islamic rule”

“often called the last of the Greek church fathers”

Served as Prime Minister to Abd-ul-Maklek in Damascus

Wrote The Fountain of Knowledge which is considered “one of the most profound and influential presentations of Eastern Chalcedonian theology”

Adhered to the Chalcedonian Creed/Definition

Opposed Nestorianism and Monophysitism

John of Damascus used the argument that icons aided the illiterate

“What the written word is to those who can read, the icon is to the illiterate. What speech is to the ear, the icon is to the eye.”

3. Systematic Destruction and Seizures of Church Property

4. Roman Authority Challenged

Roman Catholics, and in particular, the popes, did not like the emperor’s involvement in ecclesiastical affairs. In fact, at the initial attack on icons by Emperor Leo III in 727, the popes opposed him.

a. Pope Gregory III denounced the iconoclasts

Pope Gregory III denounced the iconoclasts in 731 at the Synod of Rome. They excommunicated all who destroyed icons at this synod.

b. Emperor Leo III seized papal jurisdiction from its territories

c. Ultimately, they achieved a peaceful relationship

Pope Gregory III acknowledged the political authority of the Emperor, and the Emperor gave gifts to the tomb of Peter.

C. Synod of Hieria

After Emperor Leo III died, his son, Constantine V (741–775) took over.

1. Emperor Constantine V (741–775)

a. Constantine hated icons even more than his father

b. He seized monasteries, attacked and committed heinous acts against the monks

c. He convened the Synod of Hieria

The Synod declared all icon veneration as heretical

The Synod declared the use of icons illegal and punishable by the State

Many monks were martyred during this time

Although some clergy accepted the Synod’s decision, most rejected it because the Synod did not include several key patriarchs

D. Empress Irene

1. Iconoclasm eased with the reign of Emperor Leo IV (775–780)

2. Leo IV’s wife had a significant influence on his icon views

3. Irene became the first empress of the Empire

4. She served under her son, Constantine VI (780–797) before she blinded and killed him

5. Irene faced significant challenges because the majority of the army supported iconoclasm

6. Irene reversed the edict against icons at the Second Council of Nicaea 787

E. Second Nicene Council

1. Tarasius, patriarch of Constantinople (?–806)

2. Pope Hadrian I (?–795)

Much happened under the lengthy pontificate of Hadrian I. The establishment of the papal state boundaries, the working with Charlemagne were two significant events or issues during his papacy.

3. Several Key Rulings were given at this Council

“Veneration of icons was defined as a matter of respect and admiration”

“Absolute adoration…was reserved only for God”

“Simony was condemned”

“The term, which is derived from Simon Magus (see Acts 8:18–24), denotes the purchase or sale of spiritual things. The canons of the early Church show that simony became frequent after the age of persecutions; there has been repeated legislation against it, especially in connection with ecclesiastical preferment.”

“Double monasteries…[were] forbidden”