Icon Veneration and Salvation: A Biblical Response to Eastern Orthodoxy

Contending for the Word Q&A · Mar 18, 2026 · 11m

In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Samuel Farag examines the relationship between icon veneration, church authority, and salvation within Eastern Orthodox theology. By looking at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Second Nicaea, AD 787), this episode explores whether icon veneration is treated as a required or salvific practice—and how those claims compare with the teaching of Scripture. Key topics include: • The Eastern Orthodox view of church authority and infallibility • The role of councils, tradition, and official decrees • The meaning and implications of "anathema" • Whether…