Explores the Iconoclast controversy and its impact on the medieval church
This scholarly edition presents a clear, readable account of how western and eastern churches wrestled with sacred images, church authority, and doctrinal challenges.
The volume assembles a focused study from Bernhard Jungmann’s Dissertationes selectae in Historiam Ecclesiasticam, Tom III, offering a detailed look at the rise and defense of Catholic doctrine during a time of conflict. It traces the Concilio Trullano, the Iconoclast crisis, and the debates that shaped later church structure and practice. The text also surveys major arguments, key figures, and the sources historians use to build the picture, delivering a careful, source-based narrative without sensationalism.
What you’ll read and consider
- A careful retelling of how icon controversy unfolded in the eighth and ninth centuries, with attention to both Western and Eastern perspectives.
- Summaries of the main positions in doctrinal debates, including discussions around sacral imagery, the nature of Christ’s body, and church authority.
- Profiles of notable figures and moments that influenced policy, such as synods, emperors, and bishops, and how their actions affected church life.
- References to primary and secondary sources that scholars use to interpret these events, along with notes that help readers follow the scholarly conversation.
Ideal for readers who want
- A clear, documentary-style overview of early medieval church history.
- A solid grounding in how doctrinal disputes were argued and decided in church councils and scholastic commentary.