For just as God made all that He made by the energy of the Holy Spirit, so also now the energy of the Spirit performs those things that are supernatural and which it is not possible to comprehend unless by faith alone.[1]
Yuhanna ibn Sarjun ibn Mansur[2] was born into a prominent Christian family of Damascus in 675. Arabic records make reference to his grandfather and his father since they served in the civil administration of the city when the Muslim Caliphate was established there in 661, the city having been conquered by Arab Muslim forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid in 634.[3] Both continued to be employed in the public service of the new regime given that Christian civil servants were retained at the Umayyad court. Some have even asserted that John himself followed in their footsteps and took employment as well, although this cannot be verified. Apparently, the initial aftermath of the conquest was relatively benign. Christians continued to worship in the Byzantine basilica for the …More