John of Damascus

Lore & Background

John was born in Damascus to a prominent Christian family. John's education reportedly included both Muslim and Greek texts, and he may have been bilingual. One account identifies his tutor as a monk named Cosmas, kidnapped from Sicily, who taught him arithmetic and geometry. John possibly worked as a civil servant for the Caliph before becoming a monk at Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem, where he was ordained a priest in 735. In the early 8th century, Emperor Leo III issued edicts against the veneration of icons. John of Damascus wrote three spirited defenses of holy images, including his Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images, which attacked the emperor and used a simplified style to reach common people. According to tradition, Leo III sent forged documents to the caliph implicating John in a plot, leading to John's right hand being cut off. After praying before an icon of the Theotokos, his hand was miraculously restored, and he attached a silver hand to the icon, which became known as the 'Three-handed' icon. John also composed hymns still used in Eastern Christian liturgy and in western Lutheranism at Easter. He is at the end of the Patristic period of dogmatic development, and his contributions are the last in the series of theological developments before the medieval period. In Catholic theology, he is known as the 'last of the Greek Fathers.'

Reader's Guide

John of Damascus holds a pivotal place in Christian theology as the final major figure of the Patristic period. His defense of icons during the Byzantine iconoclastic controversy was foundational for the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which affirmed the veneration of images. His writings on the Assumption of Mary earned him the title Doctor of the Assumption in the Catholic Church. He also developed the concept of perichoresis as a technical term for the interpenetration of Christ's divine and human natures and the relationship between the hypostases of the Trinity. His hymns remain in liturgical use in Eastern Christianity and western Lutheranism. The main biographical source is a hagiographical work attributed to John of Jerusalem, based on an earlier Arabic text, but it is prone to exaggeration and legendary details. John's family background shows a Christian family serving under Umayyad rule, and his education likely included both Islamic and Hellenic elements. Despite uncertainties about his exact role in the Umayyad administration, his theological legacy is undisputed. His works helped shape Eastern Orthodox and Catholic doctrine, and he is remembered as a polymath who integrated law, philosophy, and music into his theological output.

Did You Know?

• John of Damascus was given the byname Chrysorroas, meaning 'streaming with gold' or 'the golden speaker.'
• According to tradition, after his right hand was cut off, John prayed before an icon of the Theotokos and his hand was miraculously restored, leading to the 'Three-handed' icon.
• The hagiographic novel Barlaam and Josaphat was once attributed to John of Damascus, but most scholars now attribute it to Euthymius of Athos.