John of Damascus

Chrysorrhoas redirects here. For the river, see in Damascus in the 7th century AD.[10][11] His full name Barada. was Yuhanna (or Yanah) ibn Mansur ibn Sarjun (Arabic: named for his grandfather Mansur, who,( منصور بن سرجون Saint John of Damascus (Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ had been responsible for the taxes of the region under the [10][12] Δαμασκηνός / Iōannēs ho Damaskēnos; Latin: Ioannes Emperor Heraclius. The lack of documentation at- ALA-LC: testing to his specific tribal lineage has led a number of / يوحنا الدمشقي :Damascenus; Arabic Yūḥannā ad-Dimashqī; also known as John Dama- scholars to assign him either to the Taghlib or the Kalb, [13] scene, and as Χρυσορρόας / Chrysorrhoas, literally two prominent Bedouin tribes in the Syrian desert. “streaming with gold”—i.e., “the golden speaker"; c. 675 Others suggest that he may have been of Syrian non-Arab [13][14][15] or 676 – 4 December 749) was a Syrian monk and priest. origin. Whatever the case, John of Damascus Born and raised in Damascus, he died at his monastery, had two names: John, his Christian name, and his Arabic [12] Mar Saba, near Jerusalem.[1] name, given as Qurein or Yana or Iyanis. A polymath whose fields of interest and contribution Eutychius, a 10th-century Melkite patriarch mentions a included law, theology, philosophy, and music, he is certain Arab governor of the city who surrendered the city said by some sources to have served as a Chief Admin- to the Muslims, probably John’s grandfather Mansur Bin [16] istrator to the Muslim caliph of Damascus before his Sargun. When the region came under Arab Muslim ordination.[2][3] He wrote works expounding the Chris- rule in the late 7th century AD, the court at Damas- tian faith, and composed hymns which are still used both cus retained its large complement of Christian civil ser- [10][16] liturgically in Eastern Christian practice throughout the vants, John’s grandfather among them. John’s fa- world as well as in western Lutheranism at Easter.[4] He ther, Sarjun (Sergius) or Ibn Mansur, went on to serve [10] is considered “the last of the Fathers” of the Eastern Or- the Umayyad caliphs. According to John of Jerusalem thodox church and is best known for his strong defense of and some later versions of his life, after his father’s death icons.[5] The Catholic Church regards him as a Doctor of John also served as an official to the caliphal court before the Church, often referred to as the Doctor of the Assump- leaving to become a monk. This claim, that John actually tion due to his writings on the Assumption of Mary.[6] served in a Muslim court, has been questioned since he is never mentioned in Muslim sources, which however do The most common source of information for the life refer to his father Sarjun (Sergius) as a secretary in the of John of Damascus is a work attributed to one John caliphal administration.[17] In addition, John’s own writ- of Jerusalem, identified therein as the Patriarch of [7] ings never refer to any experience in a Muslim court. It is Jerusalem. This is an excerpted translation into Greek believed that John became a monk at Mar Saba, and that of an earlier Arabic text. The Arabic original contains he was ordained as a priest in 735.[10][11] a prologue not found in most other translations, and was written by an Arab monk, Michael. Michael explained that he decided to write his biography in 1084 because none was available in his day. However, the main Ara- 2 Education bic text seems to have been written by an earlier author sometime between the early 9th and late 10th centuries One of the vitae describes his father’s desire for him to AD.[7] Written from a hagiographical point of view and “learn not only the books of the Muslims, but those of prone to exaggeration and some legendary details, it is the Greeks as well.” From this it has been suggested that not the best historical source for his life, but is widely John may have grown up bilingual.[18] John does indeed reproduced and considered to contain elements of some show some knowledge of the Quran, which he criticizes value.[8] The hagiographic novel Barlaam and Josaphat, harshly.[19] traditionally attributed to John, is in fact a work of the Other sources describes his education in Damascus as 10th century.[9] having been conducted in accordance with the principles of Hellenic education, termed “secular” by one source and “Classical Christian” by another.[20][21] One account 1 Family background identifies his tutor as a monk by the name of Cosmas, who had been kidnapped by Arabs from his home in Sicily, John was born into a prominent family known as Man- and for whom John’s father paid a great price. Under al-Manṣūr, “the victorious one”) the instruction of Cosmas, who also taught John’s orphan / المنصور :sour (Arabic

1 2 6 LIST OF WORKS

friend (the future St. Cosmas of Maiuma), John is said to 5 Veneration have made great advances in music, astronomy and the- ology, soon rivalling Pythagoras in arithmetic and Euclid When the name of Saint John of Damascus was inserted [21] in geometry. As a refugee from Italy, Cosmas brought in the General Roman Calendar in 1890, it was assigned with him the scholarly traditions of Western Christianity. to 27 March. The feast day was moved in 1969 to the day of the saint’s death, 4 December, the day on which his feast day is celebrated also in the Byzantine Rite calendar 3 Defence of holy images [28] and the Lutheran Commemorations.[29]

In the early 8th century AD, iconoclasm, a movement op- posed to the veneration of icons, gained some acceptance 6 List of works in the Byzantine court. In 726, despite the protests of St. Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, Emperor Leo III issued his first edict against the veneration of images and their exhibition in public places.[22] A talented writer in the secure surroundings of the caliph’s court, John of Damascus undertook a spirited defence of holy images in three separate publications. The earliest of these works, his “Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images”, secured his reputation. He not only attacked the emperor, but adopted a simplified style that allowed the controversy to be followed by the common people, stir- ring rebellion among those of Christian faith. Later, his writings would play an important role during the Second Council of Nicaea, which convened to settle the icon dis- pute. The biography of John of Damascus recounts at least one episode deemed to be improbable or legendary.[23][24] It reports that Leo III sent forged documents to the caliph which implicated John in a plot to attack Damascus. The caliph then ordered John’s right hand be cut off and hung up in public view. Some days afterwards, John asked for the restitution of his hand, and prayed fervently to the Theotokos before her icon: thereupon, his hand is said to have been miraculously restored.[23] In gratitude for this miraculous healing, he attached a silver hand to the icon, which thereafter became known as the “Three- handed”, or Tricheirousa.[25] The biography adds that af- ter this event John retired to the Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem; however, an editor of his works, Father Le Quien, has shown that John was already a monk at Mar Saba before the dispute over iconoclasm, which ren- ders the story all the more improbable.[23] It has been ar- gued that John left Damascus to become a monk around 706, when al-Walid I increased the Islamicisation of the Caliphate’s administration.[26] Muslim sources only men- tion that his father Sarjun (Sergius) left the administration around this time, and fail to name John at all.[27]

4 Last days John of Damascus Greek icon. John died in 749 as a revered Father of the Church, and is recognized as a saint. He is sometimes called the last Besides his purely textual works, many of which are listed of the Church Fathers by the Roman Catholic Church. In below, John of Damascus also composed hymns, perfect- 1883 he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope ing the canon, a structured hymn form used in Eastern Leo XIII. Orthodox church services.[30] 3

6.1 Early works

• Three Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images – These treatises were among his earli- est expositions in response to the edict by the Byzan- tine Emperor Leo III, banning the veneration or ex- hibition of holy images.[31]

6.2 Teachings and dogmatic works

• Fountain of Knowledge or The Fountain of Wisdom, is divided into three parts:

1. Philosophical Chapters (Kephálaia philosophiká) – commonly called 'Di- alectic', it deals mostly with logic, its primary purpose being to prepare the reader for a better understanding of the rest of the book. 2. Concerning Heresy (Perì hairéseōn) – the last chapter of this part (Chapter 101) deals with the Heresy of the Ishmaelites.[32] Unlike earlier sections devoted to other heresies, which are disposed of succinctly in just a few lines, this John of Damascus. chapter runs into several pages. It constitutes one of the first Christian refutations of Islam. 7 The Arabic translation 3. An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Ék- dosis akribès tēs Orthodóxou Písteōs) – a sum- It is believed that the homily on the Annunciation was the mary of the dogmatic writings of the Early first work to be translated into Arabic. We can find a big Church Fathers. This writing was the first part of this text in the manuscript 4226 of the Library of work of Scholasticism in Eastern Christianity Strasbourg (France), a copy achieved in 885 AD.[34] and an important influence on later Scholastic works.[33] Later in the 10th century, Antony, superior of the monastery of St. Simon (near Antioch) translated a cor- • Against the Jacobites pus of saint John Damascene. In his introduction to John’s work, Sylvestre patriarch of Antioch (1724-1766) • Against the Nestorians said that Antony was monk at Saint Saba. This could be a misunderstanding of the title Superior of Saint Simon probably because Saint Simon’s monastery was in ruins • Dialogue against the Manichees in the 18th century.[35] [36] • Elementary Introduction into Dogmas Most manuscripts give the text of the letter to Cosmas, the philosophical chapters,[37] the theological chapters [38] • Letter on the Thrice-Holy Hymn and five other small works. Since March 2013, a first edition of this translation is available on the web.[39] • On Right Thinking In 1085, Mikhael, a monk from Antioch wrote the Arabic life of the Chrysorrhoas.[40] This work was first edited • On the Faith, Against the Nestorians by Bacha in 1912 and then translated in many languages (German, Russian and English). • On the Two Wills in Christ (Against the Monothelites)

• Sacred Parallels (dubious) 8 Modern English translations

• Octoechos (the Church’s service book of eight tones) • On holy images; followed by three sermons on the Assumption, translated by Mary H. Allies, (London: • On Dragons and Ghosts Thomas Baker, 1898) 4 9 NOTES

• Exposition of the Orthodox faith, translated by [8] Sahas 1972, pp. 35 the Reverend SDF Salmond, in Select Library of [9] R. Volk, ed., Historiae animae utilis de Barlaam et Ioasaph Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. 2nd Series vol 9. (Berlin, 2006). (Oxford: Parker, 1899) [reprint Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1963.] [10] Brown, 2003, p. 307.

• Writings, translated by Frederic H. Chase. Fathers [11] McEnhill and Newman, 2004, p. 154. of the Church vol 37, (Washington, DC: Catholic [12] Sahas 1972, pp. 8–9 University of America Press, 1958) [ET of The fount of knowledge; On heresies; The orthodox faith] [13] Sahas 1972, pp. 7

• Daniel J. Sahas, John of Damascus on Islam: The [14] Louth 2005, pp. 5 “Heresy of the Ishmaelites”, (Leiden: Brill, 1972) [15] Griffith, Sidney H. “John of Damascus and the Church in • On the divine images: the apologies against those who Syria in the Umayyad Era: The Intellectual and Cultural Milieu of Orthodox Christians in the World of Islam”. Re- attack the divine images, translated by David Ander- trieved 9 December 2011. son, (New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980) [16] Sahas 1972, p. 17

• Three Treatises on the Divine Images. Popular Pa- [17] Robert Hoyland, Seeing Islam as Others Saw It Darwin tristics. Translated by Andrew Louth. Crestwood, Press: Princeton, 1996, 481. NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. 2003. ISBN 0- [18] Valantasis, p. 455 88141-245-7. Louth, who also wrote the introduc- tion, was at the University of Durham as Professor [19] Hoyland,Seeing Islam as Others Saw It, 487-489. of Patristics and Byzantine Studies. [20] Louth, 2002, p. 284.

2 translations exist of the 10th century hagiographic novel [21] Butler et al., 2000, p. 36. Barlaam and Josaphat, traditionally attributed to John: [22] O'Connor, John Bonaventure. “St. John Damascene”. The Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Retrieved 9 • Barlaam and Ioasaph, with an English translation by April 2011. G.R. Woodward and H. Mattingly, (London: Heine- [23] http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=66 mann, 1914) [24] Jameson, 2008, p. 24. • The precious pearl: the lives of Saints Barlaam and Ioasaph, notes and comments by Augoustinos N [25] Andrew Louth, St. John Damascene: tradition and orig- Kantiotes; preface, introduction, and new transla- inality in Byzantine theology, Oxford University Press, 2002, pp.17 and 19. tion by Asterios Gerostergios, et al., (Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, [26] Louth 2003, pp. 9 1997) [27] Robert Hoyland, Seeing Islam (Princeton, 1996) 481.

[28] Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 9 Notes 1969), pp. 109 and 119; cf. Britannica Concise Ency- clopedia

[1] M. Walsh, ed. Butler’s Lives of the Saints(HarperCollins [29] Kinnaman, Scot A. Lutheranism 101 (Concordia Publish Publishers: New York, 1991), pp. 403. House, St. Louis, 2010) pp. 278.

[2] Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Idols in the East: European rep- [30] Shahid 2009, pp. 195 resentations of Islam and the Orient, 1100-1450, Cornell University Press, 2009 p.204 [31] St. John Damascene on Holy Images, Followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption – Eng. transl. by Mary H. [3] David Richard Thomas, Syrian Christians under Islam: the Allies, London, 1899. first thousand years, Brill 2001 p.19. [32] St. John of Damascus’s Critique of Islam [4] Lutheran Service Book (Concordia Publishing House, St. [33] Ines, Angeli Murzaku (2009). Returning home to Rome: Louis, 2006), pp. 478, 487. the Basilian monks of Grottaferrata in Albania. 00046 [5] Aquilina 1999, pp. 222 Grottaferrata (Roma) - Italy: Analekta Kryptoferri. p. 37. ISBN 88-89345-04-7. [6] Christopher Rengers The 33 Doctors Of The Church Tan Books & Publishers, 200, ISBN 0-89555-440-2 [34] http://www.amazon.fr/ Homily-Annunciation-John-Damascus-ebook/dp/ [7] Sahas 1972, pp. 32 B00C1SS0NS/ 5

[35] Nasrallah, Saint Jean de Damas, son époque, sa vie, son • Irfan Shahîd (2009). Byzantium and the Arabs in the oeuvre, Harissa, 1930, p.180 Sixth Century: Economic, Social, and Cultural His- tory, Volume 2, Part 2. Harvard University Press. [36] https://www.academia.edu/8841458/Letter_to_ ISBN 978-0-88-402347-0. Cosmas_-_Lettre_a_Cosmas_de_Jean_Damascene_ Arabe_ • McEnhill, Peter; Newlands, G. M. (2004). Fifty key Christian thinkers. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-17049- [37] http://www.amazon.fr/ 4. Philosophical-chapters-Arabic-ebook/dp/ B00BZWCB1I/ • Sahas, Daniel J. (1972). John of Damascus on Is- lam. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-03495-1. [38] Nasrallah, Joseph. Histoire III, 273-281 • Vila, David (2000). Richard Valantasis, ed. [39] http://www.amazon.fr/ Religions of late antiquity in practice (Illustrated ed.). Philosophical-chapters-Arabic-Damascus-ebook/ Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-05751-6. dp/B00BZWCB1I • The Works of St. John Damascene. Martis Publish- [40] https://www.academia.edu/4252728/Arabic_life_of_ ing House, Moscow. 1997. John_Damascene_-_Vie_arabe_de_Jean_Damascene

11 External links 10 References • 131 Christians Everyone Should Know- John of • Louth, A. (2005). St John Damascene: Tradition Damascus and Originality in Byzantine Theology. Oxford Uni- versity Press. ISBN 978-0-19-927527-4. • Catholic Encyclopedia: St. John Damascene • • Mike Aquilina. The Fathers of the church: an intro- Britannica Concise Encyclopedia duction to the first Christian teachers (illustrated ed.). • Catholic Online Saints Our Sunday Visitor Publishing year=1999. ISBN 978-0-87-973689-7. • Details of his work

• Hoyland, Robert (1996). Seeing Islam as Others Saw • “Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images” It. Darwin Press. at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook • • Michiel Op de Coul en Marcel Poorthuis, 2011. De Works by John of Damascus at Project Gutenberg eerste christelijke polemiek met de islam ISBN 978- • “St. John of Damascus’ Critique of Islam” at the 90-211-4282-1 Orthodox Christian Information Center • Brown, Peter Robert Lamont (2003). The rise of • Greek Opera Omnia by Migne, Patrologia Graeca Western Christendom: triumph and diversity, A.D. with Analytical Indexes 200-1000 (2nd, illustrated ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-63-122138-8. • St John of Damascus Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion (December 4) • Butler, Alban; Jones, Kathleen; Burns, Paul (2000). • Butler’s lives of the saints: Volume 12 of Butler’s Five Doctrinal Works is a 17th-century manuscript Lives of the Saints Series (Revised ed.). Continuum including three works by John of Damascus International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-86012- 261-1.

• Jameson (2008). Legends of the Madonna. Bib- lioBazaar, LLC. ISBN 0-554-33413-5.

• Louth, Andrew (2002). St. John Damascene: tradi- tion and originality in Byzantine theology (Illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-925238- 6.

• Louth, Andrew (2003). Three treatises on the divine images. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. ISBN 0- 88141-245-7. 6 12 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

12 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

12.1 Text

• John of Damascus Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Damascus?oldid=630490175 Contributors: Magnus Manske, Kpjas, MichaelTinkler, Wesley, Agkozak, Llywrch, AnonMoos, Dimadick, Gentgeen, Mirv, David Edgar, Wereon, GreatWhiteNortherner, TOO, Kbahey, Andrea Parri, Andycjp, Jonel, Sam Hocevar, El-Ahrairah, Squash, Rich Farmbrough, Djordjes, Eestevez, Lima, NetBot, Run- ner1928, Garzo, Spartacus007, Sandius, FeanorStar7, Dlauri, Cuchullain, Qwertyus, Kbdank71, Rjwilmsi, The wub, Yuber, Gurch, Str1977, Jaraalbe, The One True Fred, Vmenkov, YurikBot, Nighm, RussBot, Freiberg, Evrik, CLW, Tomisti, Closedmouth, Spondoolicks, Attilios, SmackBot, PLGilbert, Eskimbot, Paxse, Etherealstrife, Carl.bunderson, Ludi, MalafayaBot, Jeff5102, A. B., Mladifilozof, Cplaki- das, Sumahoy, RandomP, LoveMonkey, LeoNomis, Ilvar, Amenra, SashatoBot, Murcielago, Sailko, Slakr, Interlingua, Peter Horn, Lord Anubis, Delta x, Jztinfinity, Disambiguator, InfernoXV, Rwflammang, Cydebot, George Al-Shami, Nishidani, Bryan P. C. C., Thijs!bot, Missvain, Kathovo, Danny Reese, Deipnosophista, Tiamut, Escarbot, Vanjagenije, JAnDbot, .anacondabot, Yahel Guhan, Magioladitis, EOBeav, TARBOT, Aikatir, Awwiki, Aziz1005, C.Logan, Baristarim, FisherQueen, Jackson Peebles, STBot, Kostisl, Javits2000, Con- servativeDC, McSly, Skier Dude, Bushcarrot, MishaPan, VolkovBot, Majoreditor, Philip Trueman, TXiKiBoT, A4bot, Lorddragyn, Lit- tlealien182, John Carter, VanishedUserABC, AlleborgoBot, SieBot, Triwbe, Zacatecnik, FunkMonk, Grimey109, Shakko, BenoniBot, Bepimela, Benkenobi18, ClueBot, Georgid, DragonBot, Excirial, Sun Creator, ProudPapa5, AMC0712, Schinleber, DumZiBoT, A ntv, Ambrosius007, MystBot, Nabuchadnessar, Addbot, Dmgarlandjr, Kliment.A.K., Janus532, Leszek Jańczuk, Gyonis, Favonian, 5 albert square, Numbo3-bot, Lightbot, Vasiľ, Legobot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Roltz, AnomieBOT, Baraqa1, Ulric1313, Jchthys, Xqbot, Jayarathina, Dirrival, Omnipaedista, GT5162, Nicholasphilipov, Platonykiss, Anthony on Stilts, Kpant, A8UDI, RedBot, Naveira, PacificWarrior101, Julien1978, Tulipanos, Trappist the monk, RjwilmsiBot, Esoglou, EmausBot, John of Reading, WikitanvirBot, GoingBatty, RA0808, Guildenstern 43, Ryanj.mccarty, Jbribeiro1, Donner60, Willthacheerleader18, Credit Risk, Mentibot, Jace3349, Mjbmrbot, ClueBot NG, Mannanan51, Geofferybard, MerlIwBot, Helpful Pixie Bot, Dinarsad, BG19bot, Manfed, Theol11111, CitationCleanerBot, Barhebraeus, Jason from nyc, Khazar2, 900mill, Johnofdamascus, Mugsalot and Anonymous: 108

12.2 Images

• File:046CupolaSPietro.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg License: CC-BY-SA- 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: MarkusMark • File:Gloriole_blur.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Gloriole_blur.svg License: Public domain Contrib- utors: Own work Original artist: Eubulides • File:John-of-Damascus_01.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/John-of-Damascus_01.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.orthodox.net/ikons/john-of-damascus-01.jpg 295 x 400 pixels - 17k. This image is provided courtesy of St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Dallas Texas. Original artist: Original uploader was Eestevez at en.wikipedia; descrip- tion page is/was here. • File:John_Damascus_(arabic_icon).gif Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/John_Damascus_%28arabic_ icon%29.gif License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.balamand.edu.lb/theology/WritingsSJD.htm Original artist: attributed to Iconographer Ne'meh Naser Homsi. • File:Kirchenfenster_Böckweiler.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Kirchenfenster_B%C3% B6ckweiler.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-2.0 Contributors: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11596438@N00/2435169073/sizes/o/in/ photostream/ Original artist: tiegeltuf • File:St_john_damascus.gif Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/St_john_damascus.gif License: Public do- main Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Original artist: Nicholas Moreau

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