St. John Damascene's contributions to theology are vast, particularly his defense of Orthodox doctrine during the Iconoclast controversy, his writings on the nature of God, and his synthesis of Eastern and Western Christian thought. His profound influence on Christian doctrine, especially through his writings on the nature of faith, is often compared to that of other great theologians such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. However, while Augustine's influence is more prominent in Western Christianity and Aquinas in the medieval scholastic tradition, Damascene's impact is felt deeply within the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is regarded as the last of the great Greek Fathers, completing the patristic tradition and laying the groundwork for subsequent Orthodox theology.