John Damascene
8th century · AD 749 · Eastern & Byzantine · 211 passages
The last of the Greek fathers; gathered earlier teaching into an orderly summary of the faith and defended sacred images.
In his own words on 1 Samuel
- 1 Samuel 15:27-28
Political prosperity is the business of emperors; the condition of the church is the concern of shepherds and teachers. Any other method is piracy, brothers. Saul tore Samuel's cloak, and what was the consequence? God tore the kingdom away from him and gave it to David the meek.… We will obey you, O emperor, in those matters which pertain to our daily lives: payments, taxes, tributes; these are your due, and we will give them to you. But as far as the government of the church is concerned, we have our pastors, and they have preached the word to us; we have those who interpret the ordinances of the church.
ON DIVINE IMAGES 2.12
Quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations of the fathers — Aquinas's Catena Aurea, the Ante-Nicene and Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, and related editions. Each quotation links to its source.