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