While restating the biblical and patristic admonition against the worship of images, Gregory the Great rejected the iconoclastic conclusion that images should be banished from the church. He supports that images play an important role in communicating the Christian message.Gregory described how elements of education and communication frame the purpose for art.He argued that the ignorant see what they should imitate and the illiterate can understand pictures in the place of reading.Calvin opposed these views of Gregory, as well as the use of images in the church.Furthermore, Calvin viewed that paintings and images were mere teachings for the unintelligent. From this perspective, he is right on the money. The uneducated have only pictures to grasp meaning because of their inability to read. However, there is a greater value that Calvin neglected to invest. In the book, "Visual Faith," by Dr. William A. Dyrness, the author explores the philosophical reasoning behind Calvin's dislike and theory of images. Dyrness writes:

"…to the contrary Calvin noted, "Whatever men learn of God in images is futile, indeed false, the prophets totally condemn the notion that images stand in the place of books." By contrast, it is through the pure preaching of the Word that one comes to proper faith. "In the preaching of his Word and sacred mysteries [God] has bidden that a common doctrine be there set forth for all…What is doctrine? It is the pure preaching of the Word of Scripture. Calvin stated, "Christ is depicted before our eyes as crucified. . . . From this one fact they could have learned more than from a thousand crosses of wood and stone."(Dyrness, p.52-53)

Dyrness points out that Calvin was not suggesting to replace one image for another, but is saying that there is a clearer grasp of what is true rather than the use of images. However, the author argues that images do present value and meaning than words alone. In agreement with Dyrness, and taking a step further, images are like words, creating mental pictures, which derive meaning. In Calvin's statement above, he contradicted his own philosophy, in comparing words versus images. In making the reference of Christ's cruxificion, Calvin had to draw imagery in making his point clear – using the phrase, "Christ is depicted before our eyes as crucified. . ." (Dyrness p.53). The word "depicted," is a visual term used to illustrate a thought – an allegory. The terminology Calvin used to describe Christ's death are words that imprint a mental image. Communication of thought through images is the essence of art itself. What is the difference on how communication enters through the eyes ears or senses, when they already produce images in the mind for coherent thought.

To comment on Calvin's view about the visual arts, pictures as the books for the uneducated is ironic.The irony involved is the fact that his followers were once uneducated (as well as all people), before coming to the faith. No matter what the age, no person born from the womb holds a degree in literacy. Did Calvin and his followers not have to learn how to read before studying doctrine and theology? Are not images used in education to teach literacy? Where is the fine-line between words and pictures? How are words different from pictures in the mind's eye of the visual learner? Then are we to say that visual learners are less of a people compared to the thinkers?If this is true, we have a heart problem among believers needing surgery of this sinful and prejudice cancer. How can we effectively share the antidote of Christ's love to a hurting world, when argue about what is the best looking exit door of the hospital? In conclusion, the Great Physician will use and bless the humble, while He humbles the exalted ones.