Ever since Constantine legalized Christianity in 313, the veneration of images has been awkward for the Christian Church. The second of the Ten Commandments specifically states: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above…Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous” (Exod. 20:4-5). And yet the world that existed during the beginning of Christianity was filled with visual imagery designed to communicate messages as well as embellish and adorn.

Imagine you are one of the officials present at the Iconoclastic Council, and you have been shown a painted icon of Christ and asked to determine if this is an appropriate image for prayer. Explain your position using information found on the internet and in Chapter 8 of your textbook.

the textbook is Art History by Marilyn Stokstad, Michael Cothren
Edition 5 Volume 1