St John Damascene on Holy Images (πρὸς τοὺς διαβάλλοντας τᾶς ἁγίας εἰκόνας). Followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption (κοίμησις)

by John of Damascus

John of Damascus, a monk and theologian of the eighth century living under Muslim rule near Jerusalem, wrote his three treatises in defense of holy images when the Byzantine emperor Leo III launched the iconoclast campaign against icons. He argues that because God became visible in Christ, it is lawful to depict him and the saints, and distinguishes the honor paid to images from the worship due to God alone, supporting his case with long chains of quotations from earlier Church Fathers. This translation by Mary H. Allies also includes his three sermons on the Dormition, or falling asleep, of the Virgin Mary, which are important witnesses to the early tradition of the Assumption. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.