iconodule

Iconodule refers to a person or group that venerates or supports the use of religious images, known as icons, particularly within the context of Christian worship. The term derives from the Greek words "eikon" (image) and "doulos" (servant or worshipper). Iconodules believe that venerating icons is a legitimate practice, often seeing them as a means to focus devotion, remember sacred figures, and as aids to prayer. This veneration is understood not as worship of the image itself, but as reverence for the person or event depicted.

The historical significance of iconodulism is most prominently seen in the Byzantine Empire, particularly during the Iconoclastic Controversy of the 8th and 9th centuries. During this period, powerful factions within the empire sought to ban and destroy religious images, viewing their use as idolatry. Iconodules, conversely, defended the practice, arguing for the spiritual efficacy of icons. The eventual triumph of iconodulism in the Eastern Orthodox Church, reaffirmed at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, established the theological basis for the continued use and veneration of icons, which remains a central element of Orthodox Christian tradition today. While the term is most associated with historical Byzantine debates, it can also be used more broadly to describe contemporary individuals or groups who champion the use of religious imagery in worship.