Michael Pecue
I. Summary and Themes
In the Synod of 754, Constantine V called a church council in 754c.e to declare the honoring and depicting icons blasphemed. The synod consisted of 338 bishops that met in Constantinople. The main purpose of the synod was to forbid the worshiping of images. It also has 19 definitions of what they believed to be in alignment with their Fathers.
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confesor was written by two men, Theophanes and Ceorge Synkellus before 818c.e.. This document strongly disagreed with the Synod of 754 and its legalities.
II. Critical Analysis
The bishops in the Synod 754 aligned themselves with “Christ armed his Apostles against the ancient idolatry with the power of the Holy Spirit” (81). So the “faithful Emperors and endowed them with the same wisdom of the Holy Spirit” (81). Their argument is that they could no longer tolerate the Church being deceived by demons. They must protect the Church from idolatry which they believed to be the iconophiles.
The positions the iconophiles take is that they are depicting the flesh of Christ that has been seen. The synod refute this by saying this is a Nestorian error which is that Christ and God are two loosely united.
Theophanes undermines the legitimacy of the synod by stating that “none of the universal sees was represented, namely those of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem” (85). This is a strong argument that none of the other Churches had a voice in this synod. Why wouldn’t they other Churches have a say? Maybe none of them would have agreed with the synod and Constantine. These two documents express strong beliefs about religion in ancient Byzantium but the ultimate decision is on the Emperors.
I. Summary and Themes
In the Synod of 754, Constantine V called a church council in 754c.e to declare the honoring and depicting icons blasphemed. The synod consisted of 338 bishops that met in Constantinople. The main purpose of the synod was to forbid the worshiping of images. It also has 19 definitions of what they believed to be in alignment with their Fathers.
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confesor was written by two men, Theophanes and Ceorge Synkellus before 818c.e.. This document strongly disagreed with the Synod of 754 and its legalities.
II. Critical Analysis
The bishops in the Synod 754 aligned themselves with “Christ armed his Apostles against the ancient idolatry with the power of the Holy Spirit” (81). So the “faithful Emperors and endowed them with the same wisdom of the Holy Spirit” (81). Their argument is that they could no longer tolerate the Church being deceived by demons. They must protect the Church from idolatry which they believed to be the iconophiles.
The positions the iconophiles take is that they are depicting the flesh of Christ that has been seen. The synod refute this by saying this is a Nestorian error which is that Christ and God are two loosely united.
Theophanes undermines the legitimacy of the synod by stating that “none of the universal sees was represented, namely those of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem” (85). This is a strong argument that none of the other Churches had a voice in this synod. Why wouldn’t they other Churches have a say? Maybe none of them would have agreed with the synod and Constantine. These two documents express strong beliefs about religion in ancient Byzantium but the ultimate decision is on the Emperors.