Second Council of Nicaea Cheatsheet
The Second Council of Nicaea is often considered to be the last ecumenical council, and it dealt primarily with the Iconoclastic Controversy. Iconoclasts, as they were called, prohibited the use of images in the church and home because they contended that they were forbidden by the Second Commandment. The Church ultimately ruled against the iconoclasts with great thanks to St. John of Damascus for his earlier work and writings on this topic.
Read more about the council to learn more about our Church’s history and the impact it has on us even to this day! First is a summary of the council itself. Below that you will find a timeline that puts a few notable people and events in chronological order. Finally, there is a closer look at two main figures from the era who changed the course of the controversy, John of Damascus and Irene of Athens.
I would be careful here. The Council did not affirm a correct view of the use of images. Rather, it called for idolatrous veneration of images. It also condemned all who refused to venerate (including physically) to hell. The later Council of Frankfurt gives a correct view of images.
Bethany, thank you for taking the time to write and for your investment in the accuracy of our work! The printable is now updated to better represent the ruling and impact of the council. We hope this will continue to be a valuable resource and jumping-off point for anyone interested in diving deeper into this moment in history!