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© 2026 · 1.3 · Public-domain texts unless otherwise noted.

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An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

Saints›St. John of Damascus›An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

St. John of Damascus

An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

The Exact Exposition, complete in four books

Contents99 sections▾
  1. 1Book I, Chapter I. That the Deity is incomprehensible, and that we ought not to pry into and meddle with the things which have not been delivered to us by the holy Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelists
  2. 2Book I, Chapter II. Concerning things utterable and things unutterable, and things knowable and thing unknowable
  3. 3Book I, Chapter III. Proof that there is a God
  4. 4Book I, Chapter IV. Concerning the nature of Deity: that it is incomprehensible
  5. 5Book I, Chapter V. Proof that God is one and not many
  6. 6Book I, Chapter VI. Concerning the Word and the Son of God: a reasoned proof
  7. 7Book I, Chapter VII. Concerning the Holy Spirit, a reasoned proof
  8. 8Book I, Chapter VIII. Concerning the Holy Trinity
  9. 9Book I, Chapter IX. Concerning what is affirmed about God
  10. 10Book I, Chapter X. Concerning divine union and separation
  11. 11Book I, Chapter XI. Concerning what is affirmed about God as though He had body
  12. 12Book I, Chapter XII. Concerning the Same
  13. 13Book I, Chapter XIII. Concerning the place of God: and that the Deity alone is uncircumscribed
  14. 14Book I, Chapter XIV. The properties of the divine nature
  15. 15Book II, Chapter I. Concerning æon or age
  16. 16Book II, Chapter II. Concerning the creation
  17. 17Book II, Chapter III. Concerning angels
  18. 18Book II, Chapter IV. Concerning the devil and demons
  19. 19Book II, Chapter V. Concerning the visible creation
  20. 20Book II, Chapter VI. Concerning the Heaven
  21. 21Book II, Chapter VII. Concerning light, fire, the luminaries, sun, moon and stars
  22. 22Book II, Chapter VIII. Concerning air and winds
  23. 23Book II, Chapter IX. Concerning the waters
  24. 24Book II, Chapter X. Concerning earth and its products
  25. 25Book II, Chapter XI. Concerning Paradise
  26. 26Book II, Chapter XII. Concerning Man
  27. 27Book II, Chapter XIII. Concerning Pleasures
  28. 28Book II, Chapter XIV. Concerning Pain
  29. 29Book II, Chapter XV. Concerning Fear
  30. 30Book II, Chapter XVI. Concerning Anger
  31. 31Book II, Chapter XVII. Concerning Imagination
  32. 32Book II, Chapter XVIII. Concerning Sensation
  33. 33Book II, Chapter XIX. Concerning Thought
  34. 34Book II, Chapter XX. Concerning Memory
  35. 35Book II, Chapter XXI. Concerning Conception and Articulation
  36. 36Book II, Chapter XXII. Concerning Passion and Energy
  37. 37Book II, Chapter XXIII. Concerning Energy
  38. 38Book II, Chapter XXIV. Concerning what is Voluntary and what is Involuntary
  39. 39Book II, Chapter XXV. Concerning what is in our own power, that is, concerning Free-will [1874]
  40. 40Book II, Chapter XXVI. Concerning Events [1878]
  41. 41Book II, Chapter XXVII. Concerning the reason of our endowment with Free-will
  42. 42Book II, Chapter XXVIII. Concerning what is not in our hands
  43. 43Book II, Chapter XXIX. Concerning Providence
  44. 44Book II, Chapter XXX. Concerning Prescience and Predestination
  45. 45Book III, Chapter I. Concerning the Divine OEconomy and God's care over us, and concerning our salvation
  46. 46Book III, Chapter III. Concerning Christ's two natures, in opposition to those who hold that He has only one [1962]
  47. 47Book III, Chapter IV. Concerning the manner of the Mutual Communication [1985]
  48. 48Book III, Chapter V. Concerning the number of the Natures
  49. 49Book 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
  50. 50Book III, Chapter VII. Concerning the one compound subsistence of God the Word
  51. 51Book III, Chapter VIII. In reply to those who ask whether [2031] the natures of the Lord are brought under a continuous or a discontinuous quantity [2032]
  52. 52Book III, Chapter IX. In reply to the question whether there is Nature that has no Subsistence
  53. 53Book III, Chapter X. Concerning the Trisagium ("the Thrice Holy")
  54. 54Book 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."
  55. 55Book III, Chapter XII. That the holy Virgin is the Mother of God: an argument directed against the Nestorians
  56. 56Book III, Chapter XIII. Concerning the properties of the two Natures
  57. 57Book III, Chapter XIV. Concerning the volitions and free-will of our Lord Jesus Christ
  58. 58Book III, Chapter XV. Concerning the energies in our Lord Jesus Christ
  59. 59Book III, Chapter XVI. In reply to those who say [2171] "If man has two natures and two energies, Christ must be held to have three natures and as many energies."
  60. 60Book III, Chapter XVII. Concerning the deification of the nature of our Lord's flesh and of His will
  61. 61Book III, Chapter XVIII. Further concerning volitions and free-wills: minds, too, and knowledges and wisdoms
  62. 62Book III, Chapter XIX. Concerning the theandric energy
  63. 63Book III, Chapter XX. Concerning the natural and innocent passions [2203]
  64. 64Book III, Chapter XXI. Concerning ignorance and servitude
  65. 65Book III, Chapter XXII. Concerning His growth
  66. 66Book III, Chapter XXIII. Concerning His Fear
  67. 67Book III, Chapter XXIV. Concerning our Lord's Praying
  68. 68Book III, Chapter XXV. Concerning the Appropriation
  69. 69Book III, Chapter XXVI. Concerning the Passion of our Lord's body, and the Impassibility of His divinity
  70. 70Book 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
  71. 71Book III, Chapter XXVIII. Concerning Corruption and Destruction
  72. 72Book III, Chapter XXIX. Concerning the Descent to Hades
  73. 73Book IV, Chapter I. Concerning what followed the Resurrection
  74. 74Book IV, Chapter II. Concerning the sitting at the right hand of the Father
  75. 75Book IV, Chapter III. In reply to those who say [2256] "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."
  76. 76Book 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
  77. 77Book IV, Chapter V. In reply to those who ask if Christ's subsistence is create or uncreate
  78. 78Book IV, Chapter VI. Concerning the question, when Christ was called
  79. 79Book 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 Cross
  80. 80Book IV, Chapter VIII. How the Only-begotten Son of God is called first-born
  81. 81Book IV, Chapter IX. Concerning Faith and Baptism
  82. 82Book IV, Chapter X. Concerning Faith
  83. 83Book IV, Chapter XI. Concerning the Cross and here further concerning Faith
  84. 84Book IV, Chapter XII. Concerning Worship towards the East
  85. 85Book IV, Chapter XIII. Concerning the holy and immaculate Mysteries of the Lord
  86. 86Book IV, Chapter XIV. Concerning our Lord's genealogy and concerning the holy Mother of God [2436]
  87. 87Book IV, Chapter XV. Concerning the honour due to the Saints and their remains
  88. 88Book IV, Chapter XVI. Concerning Images [2496]
  89. 89Book IV, Chapter XVII. Concerning Scripture [2514]
  90. 90Book IV, Chapter XVIII. Regarding the things said concerning Christ
  91. 91Book IV, Chapter XIX. That God [2607] is not the cause of evils
  92. 92Book IV, Chapter XX. That there are not two Kingdoms
  93. 93Book IV, Chapter XXI. The purpose [2629] for which God in His foreknowledge created persons who would sin and not repent
  94. 94Book IV, Chapter XXII. Concerning the law of God and the law of sin
  95. 95Book IV, Chapter XXIII. Against the Jews on the question of the Sabbath
  96. 96Book IV, Chapter XXIV. Concerning Virginity
  97. 97Book IV, Chapter XXV. Concerning the Circumcision
  98. 98Book IV, Chapter XXVI. Concerning the Antichrist [2705]
  99. 99Book IV, Chapter XXVII. Concerning the Resurrection

Source: St. John of Damascus, An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, translated by the Rev. S.D.F. Salmond. From the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol. 9 (ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace). Public domain.