John of Damascus

Who they were

John was born in Damascus to an influential family of Arab Christians and, while young, succeeded his father as financial official of the caliphate. Having studied philosophy and theology under the monk Cosmas, he left the court around 700, gave his goods to the poor, freed his servants and walked as a pilgrim through Palestine before becoming a monk at the monastery of St Sabas between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where he was ordained and preached in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

When the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian made war on sacred images, John became, at the request of Pope Gregory III, their great defender, arguing from the Incarnation itself: because God became visible in Christ, He can be depicted.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: John has been honoured as a saint since his death. He is a Doctor of the Church.

Why that counted as sanctity

John left wealth and power for prayer, and defended the Incarnation, the reason Christians may make images of Christ and the saints, with a theology that still grounds the Church's teaching.

Connected on this site

• Cosmas of Maiuma Saint Brother or sister
  “Cosmas, foster-brother of St John of Damascus, was taught with him by a learned Sicilian monk.” — this site's research
• Peter of Capitolias Saint
  “The Passion is attributed to "John, monk and priest of Damascus", which may refer to John of Damascus, as Kekelidze thought.” — Wikipedia
• Stephen the Hymnographer Saint
  “John of Damascus and spent a half-century in the monastery of Mar Saba.” — Wikipedia