aniconism

Aniconism is the practice or belief in avoiding the creation or display of images of sacred beings or deities. It is distinct from iconoclasm, which refers to the active destruction of images or campaigns against image use; aniconism describes a normative stance or custom, not necessarily the acts of smashing existing works.

Aniconist or image-averse approaches arise from concerns about idolatry, reverence for the ineffable, or political and doctrinal positions that emphasize nonmaterial embodiment of the sacred. In practice, adherence varies by community, context, and historical period, with some groups adopting strict prohibitions and others allowing non-figural symbolism or permitted images in secular or non-worship settings.

Different religious traditions illustrate the spectrum. Islam generally discourages representational imagery of God and the Prophet, favoring calligraphy, geometric patterns, and arabesques in sacred contexts. Judaism has an interpretative stance derived from prohibitions on graven images, leading to largely aniconic worship spaces in some periods, while later art often embraces symbolic or non-figurative forms. Buddhism exhibits historical variation: some early traditions favored aniconic symbols such as the wheel and footprints, while later Buddhist art frequently depicted Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Jainism also emphasizes non-anthropomorphic representation in certain contexts, while still using symbolic forms in devotional art. Christianity exhibits the most explicit historical diversity: iconoclastic crises reduced or removed images in some periods, whereas many branches have maintained a rich tradition of icons and statues.

In modern discourse, aniconism is invoked in discussions of religious art, worship, and media representation, as well as in secular debates about the limits of imagery in public life.