One of the most disturbing things that Evangelicals object to when they think of Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy is the veneration of images and icons (respectively). Contrary to the claims of both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy on this subject (i.e. that the veneration of images and icons can be supported by the unanimous consent of the Church fathers), the majority of the Church fathers up to the time of Constantine and many afterwards did not support the practice. In fact, they believed it to be a blatant violation of the second commandment of the Decalogue just like Evangelical Protestants believe today! The Roman Catholic, Ludwig Ott, wrote:
“Owing to the influence of the Old Testament prohibition of images, Christian veneration of images developed only after the victory of the Church over paganism. The Synod of Elvira (about 306) still prohibited figurative representations in the houses of God (Can. 36).”
-Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (Rockford, Illinois: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1974), p. 320.
Here are some of the quotes from the Church fathers which argue against the veneration of images and icons (emphasis mine):
“These men, moreover, practice magic; and use images, incantations, invocations, and every other kind of curious art. Coining also certain names as if they were those of the angels, they proclaim some of these as belonging to the first, and others to the second heaven; and then they strive to set forth the names, principles, angels, and powers of the three hundred and sixty-five imagined heavens. They also affirm that the barbarous name in which the Saviour ascended and descended, is Caulacau.”
-Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.24.5
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-58.htm#P6610_1572871
“Others of them employ outward
marks, branding their disciples inside the lobe of the right ear. From among these also arose Marcellina, who came to
-Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.25.6
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-58.htm#P6610_1572871
“The image of Artemis at Ephesus, for example, and that of Athena (or rather of Athela, for so is she named by those who speak more in the style of the mysteries; for thus was the ancient image made of the olive-tree called), and the sitting figure of the same goddess, were made by Endoeus, a pupil of Daedalus; the Pythian god was the work of Theodorus and Telecles; and the Delian god and Artemis are due to the art of Tectaeus and Angelio; Hera in Samos and in Argos came from the hands of Smilis, and the other statues were by Phidias; Aphrodité the courtezan in Cnidus is the production of Praxiteles; Asclepius in Epidaurus is the work of Phidias. In a word, of not one of these statues can it be said that it was not made by man. If, then, these are gods, why did they not exist from the beginning? Why, in sooth, are they younger than those who made them? Why, in sooth, in order to their coming into existence, did they need the aid of men and art? They are nothing but earth, and stones, and matter, and curious art…But, since it is affirmed by some that, although these are only images, yet there exist gods in honour of whom they are made; and that the supplications and sacrifices presented to the images are to be referred to the gods, and are in fact made to the gods…and whereas, in proof that such is the fact, they adduce the energies possessed by certain images, let us examine into the power attached to their names. And I would beseech you, greatest of emperors, before I enter on this discussion, to be indulgent to me while I bring forward true considerations; for it is not my design to show the fallacy of idols, but, by disproving the calumnies vented against us, to offer a reason for the course of life we follow.”
-Athenagoras, A Plea for Christians 17-18
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-46.htm#P2139_587041
[Here, Athenagoras is explaining to the emperor why Christians do not worship idols. He explains this by refuting the arguments given by the pagansin favor of worshipping images. The first point that he brings up is that the images that are worshipped are nothing more than “earth, and stones, and matter, and curious art” (i.e. they aren’t the real thing). Then, he brings up a counter-argument used by the pagans: although these are images, there are beings that exist whom these images represent. This is the exact same argument used by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox (emphasis mine):
“Through sacred images of the holy Mother of God, of the angels and of the saints, we venerate the persons represented....The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, ‘the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,’ and ‘whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.’”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 1192 and 2132
The last point of this passage that I have highlighted (after the second …) is that the pagans argue that these images possess “energies” and “power attached to their names”. This sounds very much like the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox who say that icons possess Divine “energies” whereby one can participate in God. The great Church historian, Philip Schaff, in a footnote on this passage wrote:
“[There were no images or pictures, therefore, in the earliest Christian places of prayer.]”
-Philip Schaff, footnote #54 of Athenagoras’ A Plea for Christians
This quote from Athenagoras proves that ancient Christians did not believe in the veneration of images.]
“But it is clear to every one that piety, which teaches to worship and honour, is the highest and oldest cause; and the law itself exhibits justice, and teaches wisdom, by abstinence from sensible images, and by inviting to the Maker and Father of the universe.”
-Clement of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-59.htm#P5917_1794388
[Here, Clement clearly states that the Law prohibits images.]
“…as Moses ages before enacted expressly, that neither a graven, nor molten, nor moulded, nor painted likeness should be made; so that we may not cleave to things of sense, but pass to intellectual objects: for familiarity with the sight disparages the reverence of what is divine; and to worship that which is immaterial by matter, is to dishonour it by sense.”
-Clement of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-65.htm#P7345_2222379
[Compare this with this quote from the CCC:
“Meditation is above all a quest…The required attentiveness is difficult to sustain. We are usually helped by...holy icons…”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2705
The contrast between the beliefs of the modern Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox and that of the ancient Christians is quite stark.]
“Now the images and temples constructed by mechanics are made of inert matter; so that they too are inert, and material, and profane; and if you perfect the art, they partake of mechanical coarseness. Works of art cannot then be sacred and divine.”
-Clement
of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-69.htm#P9371_2623528
[Compare this to the fact that both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy consider images and icons to be “sacred images” and “holy icons”.]
“Now, it is no difficult matter to prove the rapture of Peter. For how could he have known Moses and Elias, except (by being) in the Spirit? People could not have had their images, or statues, or likenesses; for that the law forbade.”
-Tertullian, Against Marcion 4.22
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-03/anf03-31.htm#P6136_1837165
“So we would now make a remark about the arts of the theatre, about the things also whose authors in the names we execrate. We know that the names of the dead are nothing, as are their images; but we know well enough, too, who, when images are set up, under these names carry on their wicked work, and exult in the homage rendered to them, and pretend to be divine-none other than spirits accursed, than devils.”
-Tertullian, The Shows 10
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-03/anf03-09.htm#P931_374769
“But I pass from these remarks, for I know and I am going to show what your gods are not, by showing what they are. In reference, then, to these, I see only names of dead men of ancient times; I hear fabulous stories; I recognize sacred rites rounded on mere myths. As to the actual images, I regard hem as simply pieces of matter akin to the vessels and utensils in common use among is, or even undergoing in their consecration a hapless change from these useful articles at the hands of reckless art…In a word, if we refuse our homage to statues and frigid images, the very counterpart of their dead originals, with which hawks, and mice, and spiders are so well acquainted, does it not merit praise instead of penalty, that we have rejected what we have come to see is error? We cannot surely be made out to injure those who we are certain are nonentities. What does not exist, is in its nonexistence secure from suffering.”
-Tertullian, The Apology 12
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-03/anf03-05.htm#P302_111142
[These kinds of arguments used by Tertullian can be made against the use of any image, not just pagan ones.]
The Rejection of Images and Icons
by the Church Fathers
(Part 1)