Calvin and the Legitimation of Icons: His Treatment of the Seventh Ecumenical Council* By James R. Payton, Jr. At the seventh ecumenical council, held at Nicea in 787, the defenders of icons triumphed over the iconoclasm which had marked Byzantine imperial policy and ecclesiastical practice for the preceding six decades. 1 Previously, • An earlier draft of this material was presented in May, 1991, at the 26th In- ternational Congress on Medieval Studies, in a session sponsored by the Society for Reformation Research. Subsequent investigation was supported by a grant from Redeemer College. I wish to express thanks to Daniel Savage and Grace Mullen- librarians at Redeemer College and Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), respectively-for their assistance. - ABBREVIATIONS: Batdes: Batdes, Ford Lewis, trans, and ed.: Institutes of the Christian Religion: 1536 Edition (Grand Rapids, Mi., 1986; repr. of the Atlanta, Ga., edition, 1975, with rev.). - Batdes-McNeill: Battles, Ford Lewis, trans., and John T.McNeill, ed.: Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 vols. (Philadelphia, Pa., 1960 ).- CR. Calv. op.: Corpus Reformatorum: Ioannis Calvini, Opera Quae Supersunt Omnia, 59 vols. (New York, N.Y., 1964; reprint of the Brunswick and Berlin edition, 1863-1900). - CR. Zw. op.: Corpus Re- formatorum: Huldreich Zwingiis sämtliche Werke, 14 vols. (Zurich, 1905-). - JD: John of Damascus: Three Treatises on the Sacred Images, in: PG 94:1231-1420; cited according to treatise and section. - LC: du Tillet, Jean, ed.: Libri Carolini, in: PL 98:999-1248; cited according to book and chapter. - Mansi: Mansi, Giovanni D.: Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, 54 vols. (Florence, 1759-1927).- NPNF: Schaff, Philip, and Henry Wace, eds.: A Select Library of Nicene and Post- Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: Second Series, 14 vols. (Grand Rapids, Mi., 1974; reprint of the New York edition 1890-1900).- ODI: John of Damascus: On the Divine Images: Three Apologies Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images, translated by David Anderson. (Crestwood, N.Y., 1980). - PG: Migne, J. P.: Patrologia Graeca, 166 vols. (Paris, 1857-1912).- PL: Migne, J.P.: Patrologia Latina, 219 vols. (Paris, 1844-1879).- WA: D. Martin Luthers Werke, incomplete (Weimar, 1883-). 1. Iconoclasm had reared its head within Byzantine society in none other than the emperor himself: Leo III had publicly denounced icons in 726, and in 730 he enacted an imperial decree against them. The first three emperors of the Isaurian dynasty uniformly supported iconoclasm, with Constantine V (741-745) serving as the chief spokesman of the iconoclast camp. For a summary of the iconoclastic period of By- zantine history relevant to the matters under discussion in this paper, see George Ostrogorsky: History of the Byzantine State, trans, from the 3rd rev. ed. by Joan Hussey (New Brunswick, N.J., 1969), 152-186; for details, see Stephen Gero: By- zantine Iconoclasm during the Reign of Leo III, with Particular Attention to the Oriental Sources (Louvain, 1973) and his Byzantine Iconoclasm during the Reign of Constan- 222 Brought to you by | University of Arizona Authenticated Download Date | 7/27/15 3:27 PM