Philip Schaff

An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, the third part of John's Fount of Knowledge, is the earliest systematic summa of Greek patristic doctrine. In crisp chapters it treats God and the Trinity, creation and providence, angels and humanity, the Incarnation with two natures and wills, sacraments, Scripture and tradition, veneration of saints and images, and last things. Drawing Aristotelian distinctions through a catena of Fathers, it consolidates the conciliar settlement amid Iconoclasm.
John of Damascus (c. 675-749) was a Damascene Christian official under the Umayyads who became a monk at Mar Saba near Jerusalem. Trained in logic (the Dialectica) and steeped in liturgy and hymnody, he wrote to safeguard orthodox teaching after the councils and to answer Christological errors and the iconoclast controversy. Students of patristics, historical theology, and philosophy will find here a lucid map of early Christian dogma, faithful to sources yet remarkably concise.
Read it with the conciliar definitions it distills, and let its measured arguments guide catechesis, ecumenical conversation, and contemplative practice within the living tradition of the Church. Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable-distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.