Final answer:
The Iconoclastic Controversy in the 8th century was due to disputes over the use of religious images, with iconoclasts opposing them for fearing idolatry and iconophiles defending their use in worship. This led to destruction of images and persecution until 843 when the 'Triumph of Orthodoxy' resolved the controversy in favor of icon veneration.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 8th century, the Byzantine Empire faced a significant religious turmoil known as the Iconoclastic Controversy. This conflict arose due to different beliefs regarding the use of religious images, or icons, and their role in worship. Iconoclasts argued against the depiction of the divine, fearing that the veneration of icons could lead to idolatry, which is forbidden by the Second Commandment.
They were concerned that Christians praying before these icons were essentially worshipping objects rather than God. This issue was further compounded by various practices that treated icons in ways that seemed similar to the worship of idols in pagan traditions, such as carrying icons into battle, dipping them into wells, or shaving off bits to make medicinal drinks.
In contrast, iconophiles (those who supported the presence of icons in worship) contended that the veneration of icons honored the holy figures depicted, rather than the objects themselves. The controversy unfolded in two phases, leading to the widescale destruction of images and persecution of iconophiles. It was only in 843 with the 'Triumph of Orthodoxy' that the use of icons was definitively affirmed by both Church and imperial authorities.