Date of Award
Fall 2012
Document Type
Thesis
Terms of Use
© 2012 Alejandro Sills. All rights reserved. This work is freely available courtesy of the author. It may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History Department
First Advisor
Robert Weinberg
Second Advisor
Marjorie Murphy
Abstract
The subject of this inquiry is Saint John of Damascus, an eighth-century Syrian monk who wrote against Byzantine Iconoclasm. Through a study of his writings and the works that he cited, together with an investigation into modern scholarship, this thesis argues that his claim for the custom of image veneration as a legitimate part of Christian worship from its earliest days is sound. In the process, the paper looks into the evolution of historiography surrounding the subject, with implications for how to approach ancient sources.
Recommended Citation
Sills, Alejandro , '13, "The Writings of John of Damascus During the First Iconoclast Controversy" (2012). Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards. 618.
https://works.swarthmore.edu/theses/618
Comments
Co-recipient of the Robert S. DuPlessis Prize, awarded in 2013.