A Historical & Biblical Defense of Icons | An Interview With Hank Hanegraaff

Today we repost another episode from the Hank Unplugged podcast. They’ll tackle one of the most misunderstood aspects of Orthodox practice: the use of icons in worship. Together they examine the historical and biblical foundations for iconography, drawing on the teachings of John of Damascus and exploring how those who oppose icons might be missing key aspects of Christ's incarnation. The conversation moves from the practical role icons played in spreading the faith in pre-literate societies to their continued relevance and profound impact in today's world. 

Original episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updb-fkGCwE

All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

(00:00) Intro

(05:30) John of Damascas and his defense of icons 

(08:55) Do those who are against icons, iconoclasts, have an inadequate view of the incarnation? 

(16:40) Explaining the veneration of icons 

(29:30) The historical role of icons in a world of illiteracy and oral traditions that didn’t have the biblical texts that we often take for granted today 

(34:15) The appeal and potential profundity of icons in our world today as evangelical examples 

(41:20) Does the Bible Answer Man’s son believe he has left the Christian faith?