In the following essay, Sahas examines John of Damascus's criticisms of Islam as an idolatrous and superstitious heresy, and contends that he had an extensive knowledge of early Islamic theology.

In the following essay, originally delivered as a lecture in 1963, Meyendorff contends that although there was some sophisticated understanding on each side of the Christian-Moslem confrontation, the two realms generally "remained impenetrable" in terms of real influence. The critic also discusses the superficiality of the interpretations of Islam that were instituted largely by John of Damascus.

In the essay below, originally published in 1932, McGiffert locates the theological work of John of Damascus within the broader context of the early Christian church. In particular, the critic focuses on the third book of the Sources of Knowledge—the Exposition of the Orthodox Faith—finding that it provided no new or profound insights, but acknowledging that it significantly influenced the theology of the Eastern church for many ensuing decades.

In the essay that follows, Merrill discusses the response John of Damascus makes to the Muslim charge that Christianity encourages idolatry and polytheism, and documents the limits of the information about Islam available to John of Damascus.

In the following essay, Parry examines the paradoxical characterization of God by John of Damascus—in which he described God's humanity as well as His divinity—and discusses how this depiction affected the iconoclastic controversy.

In the introduction that follows, written in 1979, Anderson argues that On the Divine Images, in which St. John of Damascus defended the veneration of images, retains its significance even today, especially with regard to tensions within present-day Christianity.