John of Damascus: Writings
Overview
St. John of Damascus (ca. 675–749) is generally regarded as the last great figure of Greek Patrology. Outstandingly important for his support of images in the Iconoclastic Controversy, this priest-monk of St. Sabbas near Jerusalem is known also for his treatment of Christian morality and asceticism (the Sacred Parallels), for a small but precious group of powerful sermons, and even for verse contributions to the Greek liturgy. His reputation rests mainly, however, on one of his latest writings, the Fount of Wisdom. This relatively brief work is called by the late Fr. Chase, its new translator, “the first real Summa Theologica”; and its most significant section was in fact known, in Latin translation, to Peter Lombard and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The first part of the Fount of Wisdom, “Philosophical Chapters” (“Dialectica”), goes back to Aristotle mainly and, through Maximus the Confessor, to Plato. Epiphanius is the chief source of Part Two, with its exposition of 103 heresies. The third and most important section of the work, “On the Orthodox Faith,” is a comprehensive presentation of the teaching of the Greek Fathers on the main doctrines of Christianity, especially the Trinity, Creation, and the Incarnation. But what emerges is not a compilation but rather a synthesis, marked by originality in the mode of treatment and by a remarkable clarity of expression. In all three of its parts the Damascene’s Fount of Wisdom is “an indispensable aid to the study of the Greek Christian tradition.”
Key Features
- Compiles the writings of St. John of Damascus
- Presents the teachings of the Greek Fathers on central Christian doctrines
- Provides a valuable resource for studying the Greek Christian tradition
Top Highlights
“Thus, it is clear that God exists, but what He is in essence and nature is unknown and beyond all understanding.” (Page 170)
“. For it is impossible to find in creation any image which exactly portrays the manner of the Holy Trinity in Itself.” (Page 183)
“Nothing is more estimable than knowledge, for knowledge is the light of the rational soul.” (Page 7)
“For evil is no more than the privation of good, just as darkness is the absence of light.” (Page 209)
“For neither is there any other begetting like that of the Son of God, nor is there any other Son of God. Thus, although the Holy Ghost does proceed from the Father, this is not by begetting but by procession. This is another manner of existence and is just as incomprehensible and unknowable as is the begetting of the Son. Hence, the Son has all things whatsoever the Father has, except the Father’s being unbegotten, which does not imply any difference in substance, nor any quality, but, rather, a manner of existence.” (Page 181)
- Title: Saint John of Damascus: Writings
- Author: John of Damascus
- Series: The Fathers of the Church
- Volume: 37
- Publisher: Catholic University of America
- Print Publication Date: 1958
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 475
- Era: era:byzantine
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Christian literature, early
- ISBNs: 0813209684, 9780813209685
- Resource ID: LLS:WRITINGS
- Resource Type: Systematic Theology
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T21:09:42Z