Religious icons-1-2pages

What are religious icons? Describe their purpose, development, and the beliefs surrounding them within the context of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Why did Byzantine rulers like Leo III and his successors develop the movement known as “iconoclasm.” What were the characteristics and major events of this movement? How did iconoclastic thought in Western Europe lead to a break between the Latin and Greek branches of the Catholic Church?

The following videos cannot be used as sources but should provide you with some background material to aid in your writing:

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (Links to an external site.)

FAMOUS BYZANTINE ICONS (Links to an external site.)

THE FIRST ICONOCLAST CONTROVERSY (Links to an external site.)

Remember, the idea is that you write to convey to me your understanding of the subject.  Explain unfamiliar concepts and terms, and be sure to provide some analysis of what it all meant to the development of the Church, West and East.  Grammar counts.