Reverse, Reverse: The Byzantine Debate Over Icons
Season 2 Episode 3: Reverse, Reverse:
The Byzantine Debate Over Icons
The path to orthodoxy was never a clear one for Christianity and one of the great debates, especially in the Byzantine Empire, was over the use of icons in worship. Depending on who you talked to and when, icons were either tools for devotion or idols of the most vile kind.
In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Byzantine empire changed its stance on iconography several times, and each time, the new position was declared orthodox by church leadership and the imperial throne.
The story of iconoclasm, and its reversal, makes us ask ourselves how much majority rule plays in establishing the norms of the church. It challenges us to think critically about the “why” behind what we believe and to contemplate the diversity of church and its many threads.
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ABOUT CHURCH HISTORIA
Christianity is not an “or” religion.
The incarnation itself demands that we hold in tension that Jesus was both fully human and fully God.
Christianity is an “and” religion.
We think the variety within the Christian tradition is beautiful. We like to use the word tapestry to describe that diversity, the richness that helps us see and hold in tension and balance the “and” of Christianity. This tapestry, with its many shapes and colors across denominations, regions, and countries, helps us hold that tension in which we find ourselves.
Church Historia celebrates the tapestry of the Christian tradition through the lens of history. Hosted by church historian Stephanie Fulbright and church history enthusiast Leslie Eiler Thompson, this new podcast identifies people and places in the Christian tradition and uses their stories to discover new threads in the tapestry of Christianity.
For Christians and non-Christians alike, this journey through the past will help us see ourselves, our neighbors, and our present realities more vibrantly. Sign up for the email list to get updates on Church Historia, and additional information when episodes release.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
STEPHANIE FULBRIGHT
HOST, IN-PODCAST HISTORIAN,
AND TEA MISTRESS
Stephanie had an interest in history from a young age and fell in love with Church History in college. In 2017, Stephanie completed her Master of Theological Studies, in Public History of Religion, at Vanderbilt University. Her thesis, Contentious Histories: Why They’re Important and How to Tell Them Well, encourages those in reconciliation and community justice work to think about how history connects with the work they do.
A lifelong passion of Stephanie’s is sharing history and tools of historical thought with others, so we can experience the world around us more deeply and become better neighbors. Stephanie frequently teaches church history and Sunday School programs.
Stephanie can often be found with a cup of tea, a good book, and her Great Dane puppy, Mouse.
LESLIE EILER THOMPSON
CO-HOST, PRODUCER,
AND IDITAROD EXPERT
With a math-teaching father and art-teaching mother, it’s no surprise that Leslie Eiler Thompson’s work often strikes a balance between craft and calculation. Highly creative, idiosyncratic, and multi-faceted, Leslie’s work finds itself taking shape in many forms - from storytelling and writing to podcast hosting (Someone Like Me Podcast) & producing (Tokens Podcast), to owning a creative marketing and publicity studio. There’s even some singing sprinkled into the mix.
Spending most of her childhood and adolescent years on a theatrical stage sparked an attitude of curiosity in Leslie, one which has developed into a call to humanize - to work with heart and to share with purpose and meaning.
Inspiration strikes Leslie in the English-Ivy covered hills just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. In 2020, Leslie got to experience the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska, but that’s another story for another time.