iconomachy

A priest speaks out against iconomachy in his sermon.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Opposition to the veneration of religious images: "iconomachy" refers to the active rejection, destruction, or condemnation of religious icons, statues, or other sacred images, typically within a Christian context.
   • Historical conflict: It can also denote a period or movement of iconoclasm, such as the Byzantine Iconoclasm, where images were systematically removed or destroyed.

Usage Examples

• (A conflict over the use of religious images.)
• (The historical movement opposing icons.)

Advanced Usage

• "to engage in iconomachy": to participate in the destruction or rejection of religious imagery.
  • The reformers engaged in iconomachy, smashing statues in churches. (They actively destroyed sacred images.)
• "iconomachy as a cultural phenomenon": the broader social and political implications of image rejection.
  • The iconomachy of the Reformation reshaped European art and worship. (The movement had lasting effects on culture.)

Variants and Related Words

• Iconomachus (noun, rare): a person who opposes or destroys religious images.

  • The iconomachus was condemned by the church council. (The image-destroyer faced religious censure.)

• Iconomastic (adj, rare): relating to the destruction of images.

  • The iconomastic edicts banned all painted icons. (Laws forbidding religious pictures.)

Synonyms

• Iconoclasm: the rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical.
• Image-breaking: the literal act of smashing icons.

Phrasal Verbs

• Break out in iconomachy: to erupt into conflict over images.
  • Riots broke out in iconomachy after the new law was announced. (Violent protests over icons began.)

Related Idioms

• War of the icons: a metaphorical term for a conflict over religious imagery.
  • The debate became a war of the icons, with no compromise in sight. (A fierce, irreconcilable argument over images.)