St. John Damascene: Defender of the Faith, Teacher of Holy Images, Witness in the Dawn of Islam
- Fr. Vincent Barboza
- Dec 4
- 4 min read
Today's Saint, St. John Damascene (c. 675–749), one of the last and greatest Fathers of the Eastern Church, was born in Damascus at a time when the Umayyad Caliphate had recently taken control of the region. Christianity had long been rooted in Syria, but now believers found themselves living under the early rise of Islam. John grew up immersed in Christian tradition yet surrounded by a rapidly changing religious environment.
Gifted with an extraordinary mind, John became a monk and priest at the Monastery of St. Sabbas near Jerusalem. From there he produced theological works that shaped the universal Church for centuries. His greatest legacy is his monumental defense of Icons, written during the Iconoclastic Controversy (726–843). His writings earned him the title “Doctor of Christian Art and Images.”
1. His Contribution to the Church’s Understanding of Images
In the 8th century, the Byzantine Emperor Leo III issued decrees banning sacred images. Many Christians were confused, and some feared that using images was idolatrous. St. John Damascene, although living outside the empire, boldly rose to defend the ancient Christian tradition.
His argument was simple, profound, and rooted in the Incarnation:
a. The Foundation of Icons: God Became Visible
For John, the question of images was really a question about Jesus Christ. If God became a man — visible, touchable, material — then matter itself was capable of revealing God.
He argued:
In the Old Testament, God had no image because He had no body.
But in Jesus Christ, the invisible God became visible.
Therefore, Christians may depict the human face of God — the face of Jesus.
This remains, to this day, the theological foundation of Christian sacred art.
b. Icons Are Not Worshipped — They Point Beyond Themselves
John made a clear distinction between:
latria – the worship due to God alone
proskynesis – a reverence offered to holy persons and their images
An icon is a window: the honor given to it passes to the reality it represents.
c. Matter Is Not Evil — It Becomes a Vessel of Grace
Against those who rejected matter as unspiritual, John taught:
Christ used matter for our salvation: water, oil, bread, wine.
Therefore, matter can be blessed and made holy.
His writings became the core theological texts used at the Second Council of Nicaea (787), which officially restored the veneration of icons.
A Famous Quote from St. John Damascene on Icons
"In other ages God had not been represented in images, being incorporate and faceless. But since God has now been seen in the flesh, and lived among men, I represent that part of God which is visible. I do not venerate matter, but the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake and deigned to live in matter and bring about my salvation through matter…But I do not venerate it in absolute terms as God! How could that which, from non-existence, has been given existence, be God?…Is not the wood of the Cross, three times blessed, matter?… And the ink, and the most Holy Book of the Gospels, are they not matter? The redeeming altar which dispenses the Bread of life, is it not matter?… And, before all else, are not the flesh and blood of Our Lord matter? Either we must suppress the sacred nature of all these things, or we must concede to the tradition of the Church the veneration of the images of God and that of the friends of God who are sanctified by the name they bear, and for this reason are possessed by the grace of the Holy Spirit." - St. John Damascene
Critique of the "Heresy of the Ishmaelites"
Living under Muslim rule, John of Damascus was the first major Christian theologian to produce a written critique of Islam. This critique is contained in his work, The Fount of Knowledge, under a chapter titled "The Heresy of the Ishmaelites" (a common historical term for Muslims, referring to their descent from Abraham's son Ishmael).
Context is Key
It is essential to understand that John wrote this early in Islam’s development, basing his information on oral accounts and early, non-canonical Islamic texts, and he viewed it through the lens of polemics aimed at bolstering his Christian community.
Flaws Identified by St. John Damascene
He did not treat Islam as an entirely new religion, but rather as a Christian heresy—a distortion of Arianism (which denies the divinity of Christ) blended with older Jewish and pagan elements. His core criticisms focused on:
Denial of the Trinity and Divinity of Christ:
This was his principal objection. He argued that the Islamic concept of God having a Word (Christ) but refusing to acknowledge Him as Son meant God was "without word and without spirit," thereby mutilating God by making Him an inanimate object.
The Nature of Prophethood:
He challenged the authenticity of Muhammad’s prophetic claims, questioning the source of his revelations and the lack of witnesses to validate his authority, contrasting it with the tradition of the Christian prophets. Moses received revelation in public at Mt. Sinai, where all the people saw the fire, the cloud, and the mountain smoking. And they received revelation when they were awake. In contrast, he reported that Muslims claimed the Qur'an was given to Muhammad while he was asleep.
The Crucifixion:
John noted the Islamic rejection of Christ's death on the Cross, which he saw as undermining the foundation of Christian salvation. By replacing the cross with a "shadow" (only "appeared so" to His enemies), Islam voided the salvific power of Christ's bodily Incarnation and sacrifice.
Misinterpretations of Scripture:
He pointed to factual errors in the Muslim narratives he encountered, such as confusing Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron (figures separated by over a thousand years).
His systematic analysis became the foundational text for all subsequent Christian-Muslim theological engagement and polemics for centuries to come.
Conclusion
St. John Damascene stands as a bridge between worlds: between the ancient Christian East and the new Islamic rule, between the visible and invisible, between heaven and earth through the mystery of icons.
His courageous defense of Christian images was not simply about art — it was a defense of the Incarnation, the heart of the Christian faith: God entered our world, took our flesh, and allowed Himself to be seen.
Through him the Church continues to proclaim: Matter becomes a meeting place with God.
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