Iconophiles and iconoclasts have interpreted St. Nilus' views on icons differently. Iconophiles presented two letters attributed to him at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 as evidence supporting the role of icons in religious education. The letter to Heliodoros emphasizes the connection of icons with reminders and miracles, while the letter addressed to Olympiodoros contains specific suggestions on the limits of church decoration. However, the authenticity of these texts is debatable. In particular, the anti-icon movement may have reorganized these texts to support its views. When the other writings of St. Nilus are analyzed, it is unclear whether he can be considered a definite supporter or opponent of icons. While some of his texts emphasize images' educational and evocative function, other passages suggest that the spiritual should not be limited to physical depictions. Moreover, some texts attributed to Nilus are inconsistent in terms of chronology and content. This study evaluates St. Nilus' relationship with iconography within the framework of the texts attributed to him and the theological debates of the period and tries to determine his stance on icons.

St. Nilus, icon, iconoclasts, church decoration, Ankyra