Images taught the laity as written materials taught the clergy

Evidence

The classic argument against the Islamic position was ‘that men may be attracted through the things they see to invisible things, that through the symbols they may venerate what is symbolised; for, as written materials are the letters of the clergy, so are pictures those of the laity’. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1137

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distills the classic Christian justification for religious images as the ‘books of the laity’ — a mnemonic and instructional function rather than mere decoration.
• CANDY: A neat, quotable formula: pictures are the letters of the laity, written materials the letters of the clergy.
• XREF: connects to: Image-veneration was a genuine doctrinal wedge between the two faiths; Medieval Christians justified images as scripture for the unlettered laity