Editing John of Damascus (section)

==List of works==
[[File:Ioannis Damasceni Opera.tif|thumb|upright|''Ioannis Damasceni Opera'' (1603)]]
Besides his purely textual works, many of which are listed below, John of Damascus also composed hymns, perfecting the [[Canon (hymnography)|canon]], a structured hymn form used in [[Byzantine Rite]] liturgies.<ref name="Shahidp195">{{Harvnb|Shahîd|2009|p=195}}</ref>

===Early works===
* ''[[Three Treatises on the Divine Images|Three Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images]]'' – These treatises were among his earliest expositions in response to the edict by the Byzantine Emperor [[Leo III the Isaurian|Leo III]], banning the veneration or exhibition of holy images.<ref>''St. John Damascene on Holy Images, Followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption'' – Eng. transl. by Mary H. Allies, London, 1899.</ref>

===Teachings and dogmatic works===
* ''The Fountain of Knowledge,'' also known by other titles such as: ''The Fountain of Wisdom'' or ''The Fount of Knowledge'' ([[Koinē Greek language|Koinē Greek]]: Πηγή Γνώσεως, Pēgē gnōseōs, literally meaning “The Source of Knowledge”), is described as a synthesis and unification of Christian philosophy, ideas and doctrine that was influential in directing the course of medieval Latin thought and that became the principal textbook of Greek Orthodox theology. Divided into three parts the chapters are:
*# ''Philosophical Chapters'' (Koinē Greek: Κεφάλαια φιλοσοφικά'', Kefálea filosofiká'') – commonly called "Dialectic", it deals mostly with logic, its primary purpose being to prepare the reader for a better understanding of the rest of the book. Based on the previous work of the late 3rd-century Neoplatonist [[Porphyry (philosopher)|Porphyry]]’s [[Isagoge]], an introduction to the logic of Aristotle. The work was notable in that it allowed John of Damascus with information to explain the basic concepts of logic and the rationalisation of God.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Saint John of Damascus {{!}} Biography, Writings, Legacy, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-of-Damascus |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
*# ''Concerning Heresy'' (Koinē Greek: Περὶ αἱρέσεων, ''Perì eréseon'',  literally meaning “About Heresies”) – Based on the previous work of the Panarion (Koinē Greek: Πανάριον, derived from [[Latin]] ''panarium'', meaning "bread basket") by [[Epiphanius of Salamis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Epiphanius of Salamis |url=https://gnosis.study/library/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/ENG/Epiphanius%20of%20Salamis%20-%20The%20Panarion,%20Book%20I%20(Sects%201-46).pdf |title=The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis. Book 1 |last2=Williams |first2=Frank |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-474-4198-4 |edition=2nd. ed., rev. and expanded |series=Nag Hammadi and Manichaean studies |volume=63 |location=Leiden}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Epiphanius of Salamis |url=https://ia801202.us.archive.org/21/items/EpiphaniusPanarionBksIIIII1/Epiphanius%20-%20_Panarion_%20-%20Bks%20II%20%26%20III%20-%201.pdf |title=The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III. de Fide |last2=Williams |first2=Frank |date=2012 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-23312-6 |edition=2nd |series=Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies |volume=79 |location=Leiden}}</ref> was 4th-century heresiology that provided John with a structural model and descriptions of 80 earlier heresies.<ref name=":3" /> Through Epiphanius, John likely drew indirectly on earlier works by St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies) and Justin Martyr, whose anti-heretical writings influenced Patristic heresiology. The 20 heresies John added, numbered 81 through 100, address theological developments from the mid-5th century onward, including Nestorianism, Monophysitism, and other Christological disputes that emerged after Epiphanius’s time. Unlike the first 80 heresies, which are directly sourced from the Panarion, the origins of these additional entries are less certain. Scholars propose that John likely drew on a variety of contemporary or near-contemporary materials, such as ecclesiastical histories, synodal records, or other heresiological texts available in the 8th century.<ref name=":4" /> Some scholars suggest that the 20 heresies John added may have been influenced by works such as Sophronius of Jerusalem’s Synodic Letter and Leontius of Byzantium’s On Sects, a claim rooted in a manuscript note referenced by 18th-century editor Michel Lequien. Lequien posited that John drew from authors including Theodoret, Timothy of Constantinople, Sophronius, and Leontius.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Chase |first=Frederic H |url= |title=Jr. |publisher=Fathers of the Church, Inc. |publication-date=1958 |pages=xxix |language=en |trans-title=Saint John of Damascus: Writings}} | url= www.slideshare.net/orthodoxonline/saint-john-damascene-fount-of-knowledg-on-heresies </ref> However, this remains uncertain, as modern scholarship, including the 1958 introduction to John’s translated works, finds no concrete evidence to substantiate these influences, stating that “there is apparently no foundation for it.”Thus, while the idea of such contributions persists, it lacks definitive support and remains speculative.<ref name=":4" /> Regardless, the work was notable it allowed John with information about different heresies as well as a model for how to organize a catalogue of heresies. In original 80 religious [[Sect|sects]] which either classed as organized groups or philosophies, from the time of [[Adam]] to the latter part of the fourth century according to Epiphanius. John added twenty heresies that had occurred during his time.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Saint John Damascene |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The last chapter of ''Concerning Heresy'' (Chapter 101) deals with the ''Heresy of the Ishmaelites''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_islam.aspx|title=St. John of Damascus: Critique of Islam|website=orthodoxinfo.com}}</ref> Unlike earlier sections devoted to other heresies, which are disposed of succinctly in just a few lines, this chapter runs into several pages. It constitutes one of the first Christian refutations of [[Islam]].  In treating of ''Heresy of the Ishmaelites'' he vigorously assails the immoral practices of [[Muhammad]] and the corrupt teachings inserted in the [[Quran]] to legalize the delinquencies of the prophet.<ref name=":2" /> ''Concerning Heresy'' was frequently translated from Greek into Latin. His manuscript is one of the first Orthodox Christian refutations of Islam which has influenced the Western Catholic Church's attitude on Islam. It was among the first sources representing Muhammad to the West as a "false prophet" and "Antichrist".<ref>Sbaihat, Ahlam (2015), "Stereotypes associated with real prototypes of the prophet of Islam's name till the 19th century". Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literature Vol. 7, No. 1, 2015, pp. 21–38. http://journals.yu.edu.jo/jjmll/Issues/vol7no12015/Nom2.pdf</ref>
*# {{Anchor|An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith}}''An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith'' (Koinē Greek: Ἔκδοσις Ἀκριβὴς τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Πίστεως'',  Ékdosis akribès tēs Orthodóxou Písteōs'') – a summary of the teachings and dogmatic writings of the [[early Church Fathers]] and more specifically the [[Cappadocian Fathers]] ([[Basil of Caesarea|Saint Basil]], [[Gregory of Nazianzus|Saint Gregory of Nazianzus]] and [[Gregory of Nyssa|Saint Gregory of Nyssa]]) from the 4th century. It incorporates Aristotelian language and demonstrates originality through John's selection of texts and annotations influenced by Antiochene analytical theology. This work, when translated into Oriental languages and Latin, became a valuable resource for both Eastern and Western thinkers, offering logical and theological concepts. Additionally, its systematic style served as a model for subsequent theological syntheses composed by medieval Scholastics. The "Exposition" delves into speculations about the nature and existence of God, giving rise to points of debate among later theologians. This writing was the first work of [[systematic theology]] in [[Eastern Christianity]] and an important influence on later Scholastic works.<ref name="retrome">{{cite book|last=Ines |first=Angeli Murzaku |title=Returning home to Rome: the Basilian monks of Grottaferrata in Albania |date=2009 |publisher=Analekta Kryptoferri |publication-place=Grottaferrata (Roma) – Italy |isbn=978-88-89345-04-7 |page=37 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y2EPFRL-XJQC}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

====Views on Islam====
In the final chapter of ''Concerning Heresy'', John mentions Islam as ''the Heresy of the Ishmaelites''. He is one of the first known Christian critics of Islam. John claims that Muslims were once worshipers of Aphrodite who followed after Muhammad because of his "seeming show of piety," and that Muhammad himself read the Bible and, "likewise, it seems," spoke to an Arian monk that taught him [[Arianism]] instead of Christianity. John also claims to have read the Quran, or at least parts of it, as he criticizes the Quran for saying that the Virgin Mary was the sister of Moses and Aaron and that Jesus was not crucified but brought alive into heaven. John further claims to have spoken to Muslims about Muhammad. He uses the [[Nosism|plural "we"]], whether in reference to himself, or to a group of Christians that he belonged to who spoke to the Muslims, or in reference to Christians in general.<ref name="orthodoxinfo.com">{{Cite web|title=St. John of Damascus: Critique of Islam|url=http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_islam.aspx|access-date=21 July 2020|website=orthodoxinfo.com}}</ref>

Regardless, John claims that he asked the Muslims what witnesses can testify that Muhammad received the Quran from God – since, John says, Moses received the Torah from God in the presence of the Israelites, and since Islamic law mandates that a Muslim can only marry and do trade in the presence of witnesses – and what biblical prophets and verses foretold Muhammad 's coming – since, John says, Jesus was foretold by the prophets and whole Old Testament. John claims that the Muslims answered that Muhammad received the Quran in his sleep. John claims that he jokingly answered, "You're spinning my dreams."<ref name="orthodoxinfo.com"/>

Some of the Muslims, John says, claimed that the Old Testament that Christians believe foretells Jesus' coming is misinterpreted, while other Muslims claimed that the Jews edited the Old Testament so as to deceive Christians (possibly into believing Jesus is God, but John does not say).<ref name="orthodoxinfo.com"/>

While recounting his alleged dialogue with Muslims, John claims that they have accused him of idol worship for venerating the Cross and worshipping Jesus. John claims that he told the Muslims that the black stone in Mecca was the head of a statue of Aphrodite. Moreover, he claims, the Muslims would be better off to associate Jesus with God if they say Jesus is the Word of God and Spirit. John claims that the word and the spirit are inseparable from that in which they exist and if the Word of God has always existed in God, then the Word must be God.<ref name="orthodoxinfo.com"/>

John ends the chapter by claiming that Islam permits [[polygamy]], that Muhammad committed adultery with a companion's wife before outlawing adultery, and that the Quran is filled with stories, such as the [[She-Camel of God]] and God giving Jesus an "incorruptible table."<ref name="orthodoxinfo.com"/>

==== Other works ====

* ''Against the Jacobites''
* ''Against the Nestorians''
* ''Dialogue against the Manichees''
* ''Elementary Introduction into Dogmas''
* ''Letter on the Thrice-Holy Hymn''
* ''On Right Thinking''
* ''On the Faith, Against the Nestorians''
* ''On the Two Wills in Christ (Against the [[Monothelite]]s)''
* ''[[Sacra Parallela|Sacred Parallels]]'' (dubious)
* ''[[Octoechos (liturgy)|Octoechos]]'' (the church's liturgical book of eight tones)
* ''On Dragons and Ghosts''