The Council of Frankfurt Part 2: Iconopraxism into the Iconoclast Controversy
The Council of Frankfurt (794 AD) stands as a pivotal moment in church history, rejecting the decrees of the Second Council of Nicaea (787 AD) and asserting a theological position that preserved biblical worship. While the Byzantine church sought to enshrine icon veneration as essential to Christian piety, the Frankish church, under Charlemagne, condemned this practice as erroneous and dangerous. The necessity of the Council of Frankfurt is evident in its defense of true Christian doctrine against the idolatrous tendencies affirmed at Nicaea II. By critiquing both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, this essay will demonstrate that the Frankish theological stance was superior, biblically grounded, and in continuity with the true teaching of the Church Fathers. Furthermore, it will assert the primacy of Frankfurt over Nicaea II, showing that Frankfurt represents the correct articulation of Christian worship over the aberrations of Byzantine iconodulism. Historical Context...