Leo III's support of iconoclasm may have been driven by a desire to:
A)make churches more beautiful.
B)strengthen the emperor's control over the Church at the expense of monastic control.
C)strengthen monastic control over the Church at the expense of the bureaucratic control.
D)encourage artisans to produce books rather than images.
E)encourage Orthodox Christians to follow some of the tenets of Islam.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Leo III's support of iconoclasm was primarily driven by his desire to strengthen his own control over the Church at the expense of monastic control. He saw the veneration of icons as a threat to his authority and the unity of the empire, and therefore promoted the destruction of icons and persecution of their supporters. This allowed him to assert his power over the Church and assert his role as the ultimate authority in the empire.

Leo III's Support of Iconoclasm May Have Been Driven by a Desire