Iconography: Images, Idols, and the Distortion of Worship. From gilded icons in Orthodox cathedrals to painted statues in Catholic basilicas, sacred images play a massive role in the worship practices of millions. Iconography is defended as an ancient, holy tradition — but biblically, icons and religious images are a distortion of true worship. Their origins are not in the New Testament church, but in later cultural developments. And their defense collapses under the weight o

Eastern Orthodoxy: Tradition, Icons, and Division. The Eastern Orthodox Church presents itself as the purest and most faithful expression of the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” It claims to preserve the unbroken tradition of the apostles. But just like Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy is not the one true faith. While Orthodoxy preserves valuable aspects of early Christianity, it also layers human traditions, Byzantine culture, and iconography onto the gospel.