Iconoclasm, Incarnation and Eschatology: Toward a Catholic Understanding of the Reformed Doctrine of the 'Second' Commandment

Abstract: Reformed Christianity has traditionally understood the second commandment (‘Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image . . .’) as prohibiting the manufacture or use of images of Jesus Christ. The arguments in support of this position have often been inadequate and have paid insufficient attention to the catholic doctrine of the incarnation. This article argues that the traditional Reformed prohibition of images is sound, but that a revised defense of this view is needed. I conclude that the specificity of the visual revelation of God in the incarnate Christ, particularly in light of the eschatological timeframe, serves as a more catholic and theologically compelling rationale for Reformed theology and practice.