iconoclast

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from French iconoclaste and its etymon Medieval Latin īconoclastēs, from Byzantine Greek εἰκονοκλάστης (eikonoklástēs, literally “image breaker”). By surface analysis, icono- + -clast.

1. One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation.

   “In the days of the early Christian church, people who opposed the veneration (reverence) of images were called iconoclasts.”

2. One who opposes orthodoxy and religion; one who adheres to the doctrine of iconoclasm.

   “In February 1895 he [William Cowper Brann, 1855-1898 ] revived publication of the Iconoclast. This time it was successful and eventually attained a circulation of 100,000. Brann took obvious relish in directing his stinging attacks upon institutions and persons he considered to be hypocritical or overly sanctimonious.”

3. One who attacks cherished beliefs; a maverick.

   “After all, the fact that any discussion of the possibility is greeted with hysterical revulsion guarantees that only two types of people will take the "pro" side in public: fearless iconoclasts who do not care what anyone thinks of them; and racists.”

   “Coming so soon after the death of David Bowie, it’s a moment to consider how deeply important iconoclasts are to the evolution of a culture. Do they change the world by trying to change it, or do they change the world through the radical act of simply being themselves?”