Abstract
Faithfulness to the Second Commandment has resulted in an ongoing dialectic in Judaism and Christianity between images and idols. The dialectic swings between images as inherently idols so that no images are permitted, to images as vehicles for Divine/human communication and locating the holy so that images are permitted. Context affects the understanding of images, how those who are trying to obey the second commandment use them in religious practice, and who is accused of idolatry. Examples from Dan, Dura-Europos, and the eighth-century iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine Empire illustrate this dialectic. John of Damascus is a primary source for how images can be used to communicate the truth of God without becoming idols. The discussion of images and idols is relevant today in a context in which knowing which icon on the touchscreen is the appropriate one for whatever needs to be accomplished affects how people know, discover, access, and connect to truth.
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