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What role did icons play in creating tension between Eastern and Western Christians?

Icons played a major role in creating tension between Eastern and Western Christians. Eastern Christians believed that icons were a way to venerate and honor the saints, while Western Christians believed that icons were idolatrous and should be avoided. This disagreement led to a schism between the two branches of Christianity in 1054, which has never been fully resolved.

Did you know?

Did you know that icons played a significant role in creating tension between Eastern and Western Christians? Icons, which are religious images, were widely used and revered in the Byzantine Empire, where Eastern Christianity flourished. However, in the West, particularly within the Roman Catholic Church, iconography was approached with caution and even hostility. This difference in perspectives on icons led to a bitter dispute known as the Iconoclastic Controversy. While Eastern Christians believed that icons facilitated a connection between the earthly and divine realms, some Western Christians viewed them as idolatrous and pagan. This disagreement over the use of icons not only widened the cultural and theological divide between Eastern and Western Christians but also contributed to the eventual split between the two branches of Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054. Icons, despite their religious significance, became symbols of contention, highlighting the complexities of faith and doctrine within Christianity.