Lollards and Images: The Defense of Religious Art in Later Medieval England
W. R. Jones
England during the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries provided scene for a debate over religious uses of art, which, in its literary productiveness if not actual results, recalls great Byzantine Iconoclast Controversy. Not since Carolingian era, when Christian Europe had been obliged to reconsider views response challenge posed by Greek Iconoclasts, theological, moral, historical rationale venerating images examined with such attention anxiety. At earlier time Charlemagne's court theologians, outraged what they thought was recrudescence idolatry among iconodules, condemned worship images, although accepted veneration cross commemorative decorative saints.1 Subsequently, subject did evoke much concern West, which tended forget suspicions hesitations concerning held theologians. Between ninth European art developed freely general approval Church, showed little inclination revise arguments proper use worked out before. Those scholars, who occasionally took up question course discussing other, more pressing matters, were prepared accept images; reassured themselves quoting hallowed iconodule as Gregory I's characterization bible unlearned. Until century criticism occasional limited scope.la Purists like early Cistercians Franciscans questioned wisdom ornamenting shrines conspicuous symbols worldly success. After conversion West Christianity, pagan kind serious nor problem, crudities folk religion sometimes troubled sophisticated observers. The extreme notorious heretics Waldensians Cathars, rejected even
Journal of the History of Ideas