Iconoclasm

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/iconoclasm

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the etymological origin?Greek 'eikon' (image) and 'klasma' (breaking)
2. What is the key motivations?Theological prohibition of idolatry, political revolution, cultural purification, assertion of new ideologies
3. Why do some people think images are bad?Some religions say that making pictures of God or holy people can lead people to worship the picture instead of God, so they believe the images are idolatrous.
4. When did the biggest iconoclasm happen in history?The most famous period was in the Byzantine Empire from 726 to 843, when emperors Leo III and Constantine V ordered many religious pictures to be destroyed.

Theological: Relating to the study of the nature of God and religious belief.
Idolatry: The worship of idols or images as divine, often seen as a violation of monotheistic principles.
Iconoclast: A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions, or an iconoclast who destroys religious images.