St John Damascene: Tradition and Originality in Byzantine Theology

by Andrew Louth

John Damascene, a monk near Jerusalem in the early 700s, never set foot in the Byzantine Empire, yet he had a great influence on Byzantine theology. This book, the first to present an overall account of John's life and work, sets him in the context of the early synods of the Church that took
place in the Palestinian monasteries during the first century of Arab rule.

Genres: Theology, Religion

Hardcover

First published July 4, 2002

About the author

Andrew Louth is an Eastern Orthodox theologian and priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent synthesis of the scholarly/historical aspects of St John's life and works with the theological meaning and its wider impact on the Orthodox world. A monk in Palestine under Muslim rule, St John articulated the faith handed down to him in a way that acknowledged the particular time and place in which he lived. I particularly enjoyed Louth's commentary on John's liturgical poetry, including the canons for Pascha, Transfiguration, and Dormition, which are still sung in services today.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very full explanation of St John of Damascus's theology, preaching and poetry. I'd recommend reading "On the Orthodox Faith" and his little book on the Divine Images as prerequisites for reading this one meaningfully.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent work on the life and thought of John of Damascus! So far, Louth’s work here is the definite English monograph on John Damascene. Louth provides a biography on what little is know about John. He also highlights John as a philosopher, heresiologist, theologian, preacher, poet, and faithful compiler and student of the church fathers. There are loads of riches in this book for anyone interested in John and Byzantine theology. I deducted one star because Louth’s writing can be rather dry or dense in certain parts. I also wish that Louth spent a little bit more time discussing John’s biblical interpretation as this area of John’s thought is underdeveloped in the scholarship on John.

“His influence is manifest in the way in which, especially through On the Orthadax Faith, he harvested the wisdom of the formative centuries of doctrinal clarification in the Greek Christian world; this harvest of patristic theology shaped much later Christian theology, both in the Midale Ages and beyond, and has a value that modern theology—both Orthodox and Western, whether Catholic or Protestant—has yet fully to recover. But secondly, and more profoundly, John's influence is felt through his liturgical poetry, in which this harvest of patristic theology is turned into song and celebration. This is not a matter of mere poetical embellishment; rather, in this disciplined praise and confession, theology finds its most fundamental role, in interpreting, as it were, the return of the whole human being, both soul and body, to God, the beginning and end, the alpha and omega.”

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read several chapters of this to prepare for a seminar discussion on John's historical context and first treatise on divine images. I found it very helpful and accessible. Rooting John in the monastic tradition and highlighting his contemporary popularity as a liturgical poet were both very strong decisions. Highly recommended as an introduction or reference source. The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is that I'm not sure Louth did any significant original research or advanced any compelling novel thesis. (But I could be wrong about that.)