What term refers to images of religious figures venerated by Byzantine Christians?

What term refers to images of religious figures venerated by Byzantine Christians?

• A. Icons
• B. Frescoes
• C. Manuscripts
• D. Scrolls

Answer: (A)

Icons are sacred images of Christ, Mary, and the saints that Byzantine Christians venerated as windows to the divine. They played a central role in both public worship and private devotion, believed to convey grace to the faithful. This goes beyond frescoes, which are wall paintings, and manuscripts or scrolls, which are texts rather than images. The prominence of icons shows how art became a key part of theology and liturgy in the Byzantine world, a practice that also sparked major debates and episodes, like the iconoclasm controversies in Byzantine history.

Icons are sacred images of Christ, Mary, and the saints that Byzantine Christians venerated as windows to the divine. They played a central role in both public worship and private devotion, believed to convey grace to the faithful. This goes beyond frescoes, which are wall paintings, and manuscripts or scrolls, which are texts rather than images. The prominence of icons shows how art became a key part of theology and liturgy in the Byzantine world, a practice that also sparked major debates and episodes, like the iconoclasm controversies in Byzantine history.