Islam, Holy Icons & St. John of Damascus

#orthodoxsaints St. John of Damascus, one of the great Church Fathers, lived in a time of much change and turmoil. In a time when Orthodox doctrine was maturing, St. John confronted challenges from both outside and inside the church. From without, there was the rise of Islam to confront as St. John became the first Christian writer to approach the new faith in a systematic manner with a defense of the divinity of Christ against Islamic claims. From within, St. John defended the veneration of holy icons against the claims and attacks of the Iconoclasts. Watch our video to learn more about St. John of Damascus, also known as John Damascene, to learn more about his life and times. St. John was also known as John Damascene and as Χρυσορρόας / Chrysorrhoas (literally “streaming with gold“—i.e., “the golden speaker“), was a (Eastern) Roman monk and priest. Born and raised in Damascus c. 675 or 676, he died at his monastery, Mar Saba, near Jerusalem on 4 December 749. Turkish captions graciously added by Aglaia