Is John of Damascus a saint?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, John of Damascus is not recognized as a saint.

While he is highly venerated in the Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine) tradition and the Roman Catholic Church, he is not included in the Coptic Synaxarium or the liturgical commemorations of the Oriental Orthodox family.

The reasons for this are rooted in historical and Christological divisions:

1. Council of Chalcedon: John of Damascus was a staunch supporter of the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). The Coptic Orthodox Church rejects this council because it introduced the "two natures" formula, which we view as compromising the "One Nature of the Incarnate Word of God" (Miaphysitism) as taught by St. Cyril of Alexandria.
2. Defending Chalcedonianism: Much of his theological work, specifically his famous "The Fountain of Knowledge" (including The Orthodox Faith), was written from a perspective that labels those who hold the Coptic (Non-Chalcedonian) position as heretics.
3. Historical Separation: Because he lived in the 7th and 8th centuries—long after the schism of 451—he belongs to the tradition of the Melkite (Byzantine) Church, which had separated from the Coptic Church.

While he is noted in history for his defense of icons during the iconoclastic controversy, the Coptic Church maintains its own distinct list of Church Fathers and saints who upheld the Miaphysite faith, such as St. Athanasius the Apostolic and St. Cyril of Alexandria.