The great scholar St. John Damascene, theologian of both Eastern as well as Western traditions, is often praised as the Golden Orator. This title comes as no surprise upon reading his writings On Holy Images, and his sermons on the Assumption of Mary. He himself recognized this gift of eloquence, as we can see in his Treatise on Images, penned in response to the heretical claims of the Iconoclastic Controversy. St. John Damascene writes: “I obey God's commands, and with the talent of eloquence, which is His gift, I put before the wise among you a treasure table, so that when the Lord comes He may find me rich in souls, a faithful servant, whom He may take into that ineffable joy of His, which is my desire. Give me listening ears and willing hearts. Receive my treatise, and ponder well the force of the arguments.”[1] John Damascene’s Treatise on Images addresses the representation of Christ in iconography. It praises the glory of the Incarnate Christ, and refutes the claims of idolatry, profanity, and abuse which have been associated with holy images due to iconoclastic stances. His Treatise is fittingly followed by three sermons on the Assumption of Mary, Mother of God who herself housed the person of Christ just as the Church houses Him and representations of Him in art.
In
the Gospel of Mark 2:17 Jesus proclaims: “Those who are well do not need a
physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
St. John Damascene recalls this imagery of a Great Physician, coupling it with his
argument against idolatry, a claim made by the iconoclasts, who perceived
sacred images to act in direct defiance to God’s decree to Moses in Exodus 20:4
against graven images. St. John exhorts, rather:
“The
Holy Ghost declared by the holy apostle St Paul that God spoke of old in many
different ways to the patriarchs through the prophets. Note, in many different
ways. A skilful doctor does not invariably prescribe for all alike, but for
each according to his state… So in the same way the good Physician of souls
prescribed for those who were still children and inclined to the sickness of
idolatry, holding idols to be gods, and worshipping them as such, neglecting
the worship of God, and preferring the creature to His glory. He charged them
not to do this.”[2]
In
other words, the command of the Lord God against graven images was justly given
to a still spiritually feeble people who had already sought avenues for
idol-worship. However, after a lengthy process of healing and revelation the
hearts of the faithful were opened to be able to see firstly God the Word made
Flesh walking in their midst, and - following His death and resurrection - the
necessity to preserve these truths in sacred imagery and “worship” through
these images the prototypes they portray.
While
some iconoclasts focused primarily on the misinterpreted ancient law on
idolatry, others raised a different stance against the Church’s holy images:
the heathen abuse of images. St. John Damascene’s Treatise draws a distinct
separation between pious practice and abuse. He emphasizes how “The customs
which you bring forward do not incriminate our worship of images, but that of
the heathens who make idols of them. The pious practice of the Church is not to
be rejected because of heathen abuse...Heathens set up images to demons, and
Israel made idols of them in the words, "These are thy gods, O Israel, who
brought thee out of Egypt." (Ex. 32:4) Now we have set up images to the
true God incarnate, to His servants and friends, who have put the demon host to
flight."[3] St.
John Damascene sets out in his treatise to draw a clear distinction between
good and evil, light and darkness, pious devotion and abuse, sin and virtue. He
dictates that which is good, beautiful, and true according to the Scriptures,
while clearly exposing the heretical claims levied against them. Above all, he
warns, “with regard to images we must manifest the truth, and take into account
the intention of those who make them.”[4]
“It
is not matter which I adore; it is the Lord of matter, becoming matter for my
sake, taking up His abode in matter and working out my salvation through
matter. For "the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us." (Jn.
1.14) It is evident to all that flesh is matter, and that it is created. I
reverence and honour matter, and worship that which has brought about my salvation.
I honour it, not as God, but as a channel of divine strength and grace.”[5]
As Christ clothed Himself in human
flesh at His Incarnation, he raised the dignity of this matter and provided us
with a living, visible icon of the invisible God, after which we must replicate
our sacred icons. In this passage John Damascene also speaks in answer to the
iconoclastic belief that the divine is beyond all earthly comprehension in its transcendence and
that man’s relationship to God can only be purely spiritual. While it is true
that representation of God the Father, can only be based on man’s own
imagination and not eyewitness accounts,[6] Christ did take on
this earthly form, which allows man to perceive, see, and portray Jesus Christ,
the splendor of the Father, in human form. John Damascene praises Christ the
living Icon who was foretold in ancient prophecy, written in the womb of the
Theotokos, venerated throughout His ministry on earth, and continues to be
praised, glorified, and venerated through the icons of the Church today. These
holy images offer portals into the fullness of this Divine mystery.
To close his lengthy treatise on the theological significance of holy images and their rightful place in the Church, St. John Damascene incorporates the supporting claims of many esteemed Church Fathers concerning the use of holy images. He ends his treatise simply, dwelling on the heavenly glories to come. He speaks of this heavenly Jerusalem, proclaiming: “It is invisible and immaterial, as the [same] divine apostle says: ‘We have not here an abiding city, but we seek for the one above, the heavenly Jerusalem, of which God is Lord and Architect.’ (Hebrews 13:14; 11:10) All ordinances of the law and of our worship have been directed for that heavenly city. To God be praise for ever. Amen.”[7] Ultimately, we set our sights on the fullness of the Heavenly Jerusalem, where we will no longer perceive God veiled through holy images, but will behold Him face to face.
_02.jpg "\"Dormition of Virgin,\" icon, c. 1700-1800, Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dormition_of_Virgin_(Greece,_17-18_c.)_02.jpg.")
While
it may seem confusing to pair John Damascene’s Treatise on Holy Images with his
sermons on the Assumption, Mary H. Allies’ preface to St. John of Damascene
on Holy Images beautifully addresses the connection between the two topics.
She writes: “Take away the King’s army, and you uncrown the King Himself.
Forget His Mother, and with her the connecting link between earth and heaven.”[8]
John Damascene’s sermons intricately address the beauty, dignity, and glory of
Mary, and the sacredness of her blessed body which knew no stain and was
assumed into heavenly glory. This unique pairing of texts offers readers the
opportunity to draw their own connections between the topics of iconography and
the person of Mary. I highly recommend St. John of Damascene on Holy Images
followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption, particularly to readers with
an interest in the writings of the Patristic Fathers, in the Church’s stance
during the Iconoclastic Controversy, and in Mariology.
[1]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, Followed by Three Sermons on the
Assumption, trans. Mary H. Allies (Alpha Editions: 2020), 55.
[2]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, 61.
[3]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, 77.
[4]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, 76.
[5]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, 73.
[6]
Leonid Ouspensky, Theology of the Icon,
Vol II, Rvs. trans. Gythiel, Anthony (Crestwood, NY; St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Press, 1992), 308.
[7]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, 83.
[8]
St. John of Damascene on Holy Images, preface.
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