VIDEO: Islam, Holy Icons & St. John of Damascus

A superbly produced video documentary of St John of Damascus, with in-depth presentations of his denunciation of the heresy of Islam, his systematic exposition of the Orthodox Christian Faith, and his defense of the holy icons against the ruthless persecution of the iconooclasts (literally, "icon smashers").

This is yet another excellent video from Trisagion Films, which has rapidly established itself as one of the premier Orthodox Christian platforms on the internet.

The writers frame the narration using the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times," noting at the conclusion that John not only lived through such "interesting times," but himself made major contributions to the defense and advancement of the Orthodox Christian Gospel during a time when the Church faced grave challenges from within and without.

Holy St John, pray to God for us!




Source: Trisagion Films.

St John of Damascus (Dec. 4)

St John's 'Fount of Knowledge' is the first real 'summa' of Orthodox Christian theology. Born less than fifty years after the traditional date of the death of Muhammad, John was a powerful Confessor and Defender of Orthodoxy against the Heresy of Islam, which he also referred to as the "superstition of the Ishmaelites," calling Muhammad a "false prophet," and the Koran, made up of "ridiculous compositions."

All Christians — especially the Orthodox — should be familiar with the writings, life and witness of this great saint. See these posts to learn more...

St John Damascene's 'Critique of Islam'

Life of St John of Damascus


Troparion — Tone 8

Champion of Orthodoxy, teacher of purity and of true worship, / the enlightener of the universe and the adornment of hierarchs: / all-wise father John, your teachings have gleamed with light upon all things. / Intercede before Christ God to save our souls.


Kontakion — Tone 4

Let us sing praises to John, worthy of great honor, / the composer of hymns, the star and teacher of the Church, the defender of her doctrines: / through the might of the Lord’s Cross he overcame heretical error / and as a fervent intercessor before God / he entreats that forgiveness of sins may be granted to all.

The Worship of the Trinity versus 'Mutilators of God'

How the Great Feast of Theophany reveals the divinity of Jesus Christ and the Triune nature of the Godhead, while exposing the false god of Islam. And how this theophany concerning the True Nature of God is the means of salvation for all, including Muslims who turn to Jesus Christ.

_______

When Jesus was baptized by John the Forerunner in the Jordan River, the worship of the Trinity was for the first time openly revealed. As the hymn for the Feast of Theophany proclaims:

When You, O Lord

were baptized in the Jordan,

The worship of the Trinity

was made manifest, 

For the voice of the Father

bore witness to You,

And called You His beloved Son. 

And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, 

Confirmed the truthfulness of His word. 

O Christ, our God,

You have revealed Yourself 

And have enlightened the world,

Glory to You!

The nature of the Godhead as Three Divine Persons in a communion of co-equal loving action is pointed to through signs in the Old Testament, and perfectly revealed in the New, and transcends artificial attempts to adhere to a so-called “pure” monotheism (the Islamic doctrine of tawhid). The great Church Fathers St. John of Damascus and St. Gregory Palamas clearly point out the inherent fallacies and inconsistencies of Islamic theology by articulating the dogma of the Holy Trinity as found in the scriptures, and comparing it to Koranic passages. St John Damascene is quite bold in his refutation: 

St John of Damascus (Dec 4)

St John of Damascus was born less than fifty years following the traditional date of the death of Muhammad. As the Muslims had conquered Syria and the Middle East, John grew up in a Christian household under Islamic rule, and so had a first-hand and intimate acquaintance with Islam.

St John of Damascus was a theologian and a zealous defender of Orthodoxy. Since he was known as a hymnographer, we pray to St John for help in the study of church singing. His most important book is the Fount of Knowledge. The third section of this work, “On the Orthodox Faith,” is a summary of Orthodox doctrine and a refutation of heresy.

Read St John's Critique of Islam, from his section 'Heresies', contained in The Fount of Knowledge.

Life of St John of Damascus 

(Commemorated December 4)

Saint John of Damascus was born about the year 680 at Damascus, Syria into a Christian family. His father, Sergius Mansur, was a treasurer at the court of the Caliph. John had also a foster brother, the orphaned child Cosmas (October 14), whom Sergius had taken into his own home. When the children were growing up, Sergius saw that they received a good education. At the Damascus slave market he ransomed the learned monk Cosmas of Calabria from captivity and entrusted to him the teaching of his children. The boys displayed uncommon ability and readily mastered their courses of the secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John occupied ministerial posts at court and became the city prefect.

In Constantinople at that time, the heresy of Iconoclasm had arisen and quickly spread, supported by the emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741). Rising up in defense of the Orthodox veneration of icons [Iconodoulia], St John wrote three treatises entitled, “Against Those who Revile the Holy Icons.” The wise and God-inspired writings of St John enraged the emperor. But since the author was not a Byzantine subject, the emperor was unable to lock him up in prison, or to execute him. 

St. John of Damascus’ Critique of Islam

This essential text for Orthodox Christians regarding Islam is featured as Appendix I in my book, Facing Islam. I cannot recommend it highly enough — the unflinching words of a saint of the Church. See also the Life of St John here.

Hosted on the Orthodox Christian Information Center.

St. John of Damascus’ Critique of Islam

Webmaster note: The following passage is from Saint John’s monumental work, the Fount of Knowledge, part two entitled Heresies in Epitome: How They Began and Whence They Drew Their Origin. It is usually just cited as Heresies. The translator’s introduction points out that Fount of Knowledge is one of the most “important single works produced in the Greek patristic period,…offering as it does an extensive and lucid synthesis of the Greek theological science of the whole period. It is the first great Summa of theology to appear in either the East or the West.” Saint John (+ 749) is considered one of the great Fathers of the Church, and his writings hold a place of high honor in the Church. His critique of Islam, or “the heresy of the Ishmaelites,” is especially relevant for our times.

There is also the superstition of the Ishmaelites which to this day prevails and keeps people in error, being a forerunner of the Antichrist. They are descended from Ishmael, [who] was born to Abraham of Agar, and for this reason they are called both Agarenes and Ishmaelites. They are also called Saracens, which is derived from Sarras kenoi, or destitute of Sara, because of what Agar said to the angel: ‘Sara hath sent me away destitute.’ [99] These used to be idolaters and worshiped the morning star and Aphrodite, whom in their own language they called Khabár, which means great. [100] And so down to the time of Heraclius they were very great idolaters. 

From that time to the present a false prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their midst. This man, after having chanced upon the Old and New Testaments and likewise, it seems, having conversed with an Arian monk, [101] devised his own heresy. Then, having insinuated himself into the good graces of the people by a show of seeming piety, he gave out that a certain book had been sent down to him from heaven. He had set down some ridiculous compositions in this book of his and he gave it to them as an object of veneration.

He says that there is one God, creator of all things, who has neither been begotten nor has begotten. [102] He says that the Christ is the Word of God and His Spirit, but a creature and a servant, and that He was begotten, without seed, of Mary the sister of Moses and Aaron. [103] For, he says, the Word and God and the Spirit entered into Mary and she brought forth Jesus, who was a prophet and servant of God. And he says that the Jews wanted to crucify Him in violation of the law, and that they seized His shadow and crucified this. But the Christ Himself was not crucified, he says, nor did He die, for God out of His love for Him took Him to Himself into heaven. [104] 

And he says this, that when the Christ had ascended into heaven God asked Him: ‘O Jesus, didst thou say: “I am the Son of God and God”?’ And Jesus, he says, answered: ‘Be merciful to me, Lord. Thou knowest that I did not say this and that I did not scorn to be thy servant. But sinful men have written that I made this statement, and they have lied about me and have fallen into error.’ And God answered and said to Him: ‘I know that thou didst not say this word.” [105] 

There are many other extraordinary and quite ridiculous things in this book which he boasts was sent down to him from God.