Evangelicals have reduced religion to Sunday morning concerts, motivational speeches, and financing Pastor Bob's new Benz, so naturally the idea that sacred art might evoke something other than comfort is completely foreign to them. Not everything needs to look like a Sunday school colouring book.
Perfect, because we see relic veneration long before the supposed redefine. At this point, you’d either have to say the Church redefined worship very early on (which Christ’s church is now lost) or they were not worshipping dead bodies at all.
“Accordingly, we afterwards took up his [Polycarp, discipline of John] bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom.” [Martyrdom of Polycarp, chapter 18 c. AD 160]
“But that not the souls only of the just might be honoured, but that it might be believed that in the bodies also of the just there lies a power. And to shew, that even though the soul is not present, a virtue resides in the body of the saints, because of the righteous soul which has for so many years dwelt in it, and used it as its minister.” [Catechetical Letter XVIII.16, Cyril of Jerusalem c. AD 350]
“Wherefore, of those that live with God, even their very relics are not without honour. […] For his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he arose and revived. Now this would not have happened unless the body of Elisha were holy. […] Nor abhor the relics of such persons, but avoid such observances, for they are foolish.” [Apostolic Constitutions VI.30, c. AD fourth century]
On the contrary, there is very little historical consensus on your definition of worship. The equation between veneration and worship is completely absent at all in the first 600 years of Christianity.
Reminder
🇸🇾Syria was a Christian country
🇮🇶Iraq was a Christian country
🇯🇴Jordan was a Christian country
🇱🇧Lebanon was a Christian country
🇱🇾Libya was a Christian country
🇪🇬Egypt was a Christian country
🇩🇿Algeria was a Christian country
🇹🇳Tunisia was a Christian country!
Prots can’t agree on what worship is.
Imagine that worship is so ambiguous that you’d have to say loving your wife is worship, or accusing Moses of being guilty of worship when he preserved the Joseph’s bones.