The Christian relationship with icons is very interesting. Over the centuries there has been controversy over whether sacred images were effective in connecting the believer to the sacred. Other monotheistic religions do not have the same affinity for images as Christianity. Judaism strictly prohibits images in order to follow the second commandment: "You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or of anything that is on the earth below, or that which is in the water beneath the Earth". Islam is similar in that it prohibits images of God and the prophet for fear of idolatry. The fear is that if images of the prophet were allowed, believers would make Muhammad a sacred being Moving away from monotheistic religions, Hinduism and Buddhism both support the image with the idea that the image provides access to the sacred. Religions are so different from Christianity that it is difficult to say that these religions influenced Christians' love of images Since icons are specific to Christianity, how did the idea of ​​such images arise? sacred to Christians? First of all, what is an icon? In our world, there are many different icons that we don't notice in our everyday lives. There are icons on the signs that tell us what to do, how to act or what is in something. For example, icons, called WHMIS symbols, appear on cleaning products to tell the user how to use the product and what would happen if the product is not used correctly. Icons are more than images in that they have specific meanings that can help guide our actions. Most often, the word icon is used from a religious perspective to describe a certain type of image. As Martin says: “The icon insists that we react like... middle of paper... the icon is not the sacred. It is simply a path to finding the sacred. If the believer makes the icon sacred, the whole purpose of the icon is lost. As Besançon says, “The painted face does not “circumscribe” divine nature, nor even human nature: it circumscribes the composite hypostasis of the incarnate Word.”BIBLIOGRAPHYBesançon, Alain. “The image in dispute.” In Forbidden Image: An Intellectual History of Iconoclasm, translated by Jane Marie Todd, 109-146. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Gerhard, HP The World of Icons. London: John Murray, 1971. Luke, Theotokos of Vladimir, 1130, tempera on panel, 104 cm. x 69 cm., Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.Martin, Linette. Sacred Doors: A Beginner's Guide to Icons. Massachusetts: Paraclette Press, 2002. Raphael. Madonna of the Granduca. 1505. Oil on wood. 33 in x 22 in. Pitti Palace, Florence.