St John Damascene
Tradition and Originality in Byzantine Theology
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:7th Oct '04
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
John Damascene, one-time senior civil servant in the Umayyad Arab Empire, became a monk near Jerusalem in the early years of the eighth century. He never set foot in the Byzantine Empire, yet his influence on Byzantine theology was ultimately determinative, and beyond that his theological work became a key resource for Western theology from Scholasticism to Romanticism. His searching criticism of Imperial Byzantine iconoclasm earned him harsh condemnation from the Byzantine iconoclasts. This is the first book to present an overall account of John's life and work; it makes use of recent scholarship about the transformation of the former Byzantine territories of the Middle East after the seventh-century Arab Conquest, and the new critical edition of the Damascene's prose works. It sets John's theological work in the context of the process of preserving, defining, defending, and also celebrating the Christian faith of the early synods of the Church that took place in the Palestinian monasteries during the first century of Arab rule. John's own contribution is explored in detail: his amazing three-part Fountain Head of Knowledge, which provided the logical tools for arguing theologically, outlined the multifarious forms of heresy, and set out with clarity and learning the fundamental doctrines of Orthodox Christianity; as well as his treatises against iconoclasm, his preaching, for which he was famous in his lifetime, and, the work for which he is most renowned in the Orthodox world, his sacred poetry that still graces the liturgy of the Orthodox Church. The life and thought of this subject of the Arab Caliphs, a Christian monk who thought of himself as a Byzantine, poses intriguing questions about identity in a rapidly changing world, and the deeply traditional nature of his presentation of Christian theology calls for reflection about the relationship between tradition and originality in theology.
Review from previous edition Mr Louth writes like an angel. * Theology *
A most learned, well-written and provoking book, with some surprises for all. * Expository Times *
The reader finds himself being drawn into a long and fascinating conversation in which poets meet philosophers, philosophers meet theologians, and theologians encounter historians and literary critics. Claudel, Goethe, T. S. Eliot, Gadamer, Polanyi, Marcel, Lossky, de Lubac, Torrance, to mention only some, all make their contribution. * PN Review *
it remains an interesting and original attempt to grapple with the nature of theology ... This book needs to be read as an eloquent protest against the dryness of much modern theology and biblical interpretation. * Anvil *
The strength of this book is the way in which the author is able to illustrate the varied influences which are discernible in the writings of John. * The Journal of Theological Studies *
With this study Andrew Louth comes to the climax of his trilogy of Byzantine theologians ... Louth's scholarly manner combines the historical analysis of literary connexions with the exposition of the ideas content of the texts and demonstrates an enviable familiarity with the entire range of Greek patristic literature ... a wonderful book. * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
... a remarkable combination of theology and scholarship, a fit monument to one who, as the final chapter demonstrates, has come as close to the first rank in theology as anyone ever did while being also a first-rate poet. * Mark Edwards, Times Literary Supplement *
... an attractive thesis, argued with extraordinary lucidity and an impressive grasp of the relevant primary and secondary literature. * The Catholic Historical Review *
There is much to stretch and expand our theological understanding in this fine book ... a clear introduction to an important and too little known writer. * Church Times *
While being rigorous and detailed, the author is careful to write in an accessible and clear way, so that a reasonably well-informed reader can easily follow the argument. * Church Times *
Louth's work is a monument of Patristic scholarship. * 8th Day Books Catalog *
ISBN: 9780199275274
Dimensions: 216mm x 137mm x 20mm
Weight: 435g
346 pages