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