John of Damascus

About John of Damascus

John of Damascus was the last of the Greek Church Fathers, a monk, priest, and Doctor of the Church. Born to a Christian Arab family serving the Muslim caliph in Damascus, John held high administrative office before becoming a monk at Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem. He wrote systematic theology ("The Fount of Knowledge"), biblical commentaries, liturgical hymns, and especially defended icons during the Iconoclast controversy. His "Three Treatises on the Divine Images" provided the theological foundation for icon veneration, distinguishing worship (due to God alone) from veneration (honoring saints through images). John's synthesis of patristic theology influenced both Eastern and Western Christianity. Declared Doctor of the Church 1890.