An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

by St John Damascene

The Complete Text

BOOK I CHAPTER I
That the Deity is incomprehensible, and that we ought not to pry into and meddle with tire things which have not been delivered to us by the holy Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelists.
BOOK I CHAPTER II
Concerning things utterable and things unutterable, and things knowable and thinks unknowable.
BOOK I CHAPTER III
Proof that there is a God.
BOOK I CHAPTER IV
Concerning the nature of Deity: that it is incomprehensible.
BOOK I CHAPTER V
Proof that God is one and not many.
BOOK I CHAPTER VI
Concerning the Word and the San of God: a reasoned proof.
BOOK I CHAPTER VII
Concerning the Holy Spirit, a reasoned proof.
BOOK I CHAPTER VIII
Concerning the Holy Trinity.
BOOK I CHAPTER IX
Concerning what is affirmed about God.
BOOK I CHAPTER X
Concerning divine union and separation.
BOOK I CHAPTER XI
Concerning what is affirmed about God as though He had body.
BOOK I CHAPTER XII
Concerning the Same.
BOOK I CHAPTER XIII
Concerning the place of God: and that the Deity alone is uncircumscribed.
BOOK I CHAPTER XIV
The properties of the divine nature.
BOOK II CHAPTER I
Concerning aeon or age.
BOOK II CHAPTER II
Concerning the creation.
BOOK II CHAPTER IlI
Concerning angels.
BOOK II CHAPTER IV
Concerning the devil and demons.
BOOK II CHAPTER V
Concerning the visible creation.
BOOK II CHAPTER VI
Concerning the Heaven.
BOOK II CHAPTER VII
Concerning light, fire, the luminaries, sun, moon and stars.
BOOK II CHAPTER VIII
Concerning air and winds.
BOOK II CHAPTER IX
Concerning the waters.
BOOK II CHAPTER X
Concerning earth and its products.
BOOK II CHAPTER XI
Concerning Paradise.
BOOK II CHAPTER XII
Concerning Man.
BOOK II CHAPTER XIII
Concerning Pleasures.
BOOK II CHAPTER XIV
Concerning Pain.
BOOK II CHAPTER XV
Concerning Fear.
BOOK II CHAPTER XVI
Concerning Anger.
BOOK II CHAPTER XVII
Concerning Imagination.
BOOK II CHAPTER XVIII
Concerning Sensation.
BOOK II CHAPTER XIX
Concerning Thought.
BOOK II CHAPTER XX
Concerning Memory.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXI
Concerning Conception and Articulation.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXII
Concerning Passion and Energy.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXIII
Concerning Energy.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXIV
Concerning what is Voluntary anal what is Involuntary.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXV
Concerning what is in our own power, that is, concerning Free-will(9).
BOOK II CHAPTER XXVI
Of events(5), some are in our hands, others are not.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXVII
Concerning the reason of our endowment with Free-will.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXVIII
Concerning what is not in our hands.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXIX
Concerning Providence.
BOOK II CHAPTER XXX
Concerning Prescience and Predestination.
BOOK III CHAPTER I
Concerning the Divine OEconomy and God's care over us, and concerning our salvation.
BOOK III CHAPTER II
Concerning the manner in which the Word(9) was conceived, and concerning His divine incarnation.
BOOK III CHAPTER III
Concerning Christ's two natures, in apposition to those who hold that He has only one(2).
BOOK III CHAPTER IV
Concerning the manner of the Mutual Communication(8).
BOOK III CHAPTER V
Concerning the number of the Natures.
BOOK III CHAPTER VI
That in one of its subsistences the divine nature is united in its entirety to the human nature, in its entirety and not only part to part.
BOOK III CHAPTER VII
Concerning the one compound subsistence of God the Word.
BOOK III CHAPTER VIII
In reply to those who ask whether(7) the natures of the Lord are brought under a continuous or a discontinuous quantity(8).
BOOK III CHAPTER IX
In reply to the question whether there is Nature that has no Subsistence.
BOOK III CHAPTER X
Concerning the Trisagium ("the Thrice Holy").
BOOK III CHAPTER XI
Concerning the Nature as viewed in Species and in Individual, and concerning the difference between Union and Incarnation: and how this is to be understood, "The one Nature of God the Word Incarnate.
BOOK III CHAPTER XII
That the holy Virgin is the Mother of God: an argument directed against the Nestorians.
BOOK III CHAPTER XIII
Concerning the properties of the two Natures.
BOOK III CHAPTER XIV
Concerning the volitions and free-will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
BOOK III CHAPTER XV
Concerning the energies in our Lord Jesus Christ.
BOOK III CHAPTER XVI
In reply to those who say(7) "If man has two natures and two energies, Christ must be held to have three natures and as many energies.
BOOK III CHAPTER XVII
Concerning the deification of the nature of our Lord's flesh and of Hi's will.
BOOK III CHAPTER XVIII
Further concerning volitions and free-wills: minds, too, and knowledges and wisdoms.
BOOK III CHAPTER XIX
Concerning the theandric energy.
BOOK III CHAPTER XX
Concerning the natural and innocent passions(2a).
BOOK III CHAPTER XXI
Concerning ignorance and servitude.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXII
Concerning His growth.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXIII
Concerning His Fear.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXIV
Concerning our Lord's Praying.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXV
Concerning the Appropriation.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXVI
Concerning the Passion of our Lord's body, and the Impassibility of His divinity.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXVII
Concerning the fact that the divinity of the Word remained inseparable from the soul and the body, even at our Lord's death, and that His subsistence continued one.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXVIII
Concerning Corruption and Destruction.
BOOK III CHAPTER XXIX
Concerning the Descent to Hades.
BOOK IV CHAPTER I
Concerning what followed the Resurrection.
BOOK IV CHAPTER II
Concerning the sitting at the right hand of the Father.
BOOK IV CHAPTER III
In reply to those who say(5) "If Christ has two natures, either ye do service to the creature in worshipping created nature, or ye say that there is one nature to be worshipped, and another not to be worshipped.
BOOK IV CHAPTER IV
Why it was the Son of God, and not the Father or the Spirit, that became man: and what having became man He achieved.
BOOK IV CHAPTER V
In reply to those who ask if Christ's subsistence is create or uncreate.
BOOK IV CHAPTER VI
Concerning the question, when Christ was called.
BOOK IV CHAPTER VII
In answer to those who enquire whether the holy Mother of God bore two natures, and whether two natures hung upon the Crass.
BOOK IV CHAPTER VIII
How the Only-begotten Son of God is called first-born.
BOOK IV CHAPTER IX
Concerning Faith and Baptism.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XII
Concerning Worship towards the East.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XIII
Concerning the holy and immaculate Mysteries of the Lord.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XIV
Concerning our Lord's genealogy and concerning the holy Mother of God(4).
BOOK IV CHAPTER XV
Concerning the honour due to the Saints and their remains.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XVI
Concerning Images(8).
BOOK IV CHAPTER XVII
Concerning Scripture(8).
BOOK IV CHAPTER XVIII
Regarding the things said concerning Christ.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XIX
That God(7) is not the cause of evils.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XX
That there are not two Kingdoms.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXI
The purpose(2) for which God in His foreknowledge created persons who would sin and not repent.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXII
Concerning the law of God and the law of sin.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXIII
Against the Jews on the question Sabbath.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXIV
Concerning Virginity.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXV
Concerning the Circumcision.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXVI
It should be known that the Antichrist is hound to come.
BOOK IV CHAPTER XXVII
Concerning the Resurrection.

Index Top BOOK I BOOK II BOOK III BOOK IV