It’s the memorial of St. John of Damascus, and I’m on KVSS radio to celebrate. Many scholars and churchmen consider St. John to be the last of the Eastern Fathers — or the first of the medievals. He marks a transition from patristic to scholastic theology.

The Catholic Encyclopedia article really doesn’t do him justice. John was the great synthesizer of the doctrine of the Fathers who went before him. He was also the first to confront the rise of Islam, having himself held a prominent position in the Caliphate of Damascus.

St. John figures prominently in my long post on icons. He also dominates two posts on early contact between the Fathers and Islam (here and here).

You can listen to the SJD interview live at KVSS‘s website this morning, or check the station’s Aquilina archive later in the day.