John of Scythopolis

John Scythopolita (Greek: Ίωάννης ό Σκυθοπολίτης; c. 536–550), also known as "the Scholasticus", bishop of Scythopolis in Palestine, where Beit She'an is today, was a Byzantine theologian and lawyer adhering to neo-Chalcedonian theology.^[1]

He is famous for several works (lost) against Monophysite heresy: his major one is a treatise written c. 530, defending the theory of "dioenergism",^[2] against his contemporary Severus of Antioch. Another work attacked the heretic Eutyches, one of the founders of Monophysitism.

We have some data about him by Photius, learned bishop of Byzantium.^[3]

Hans Urs von Balthasar suggested than John was the author of much of Maximus the Confessor's scholia.^[4][5]

A recent theory by Byzantinist Carlo Maria Mazzucchi suggests that John of Scythopolis' was aware that the Corpus Dionysiacum was a forgery and that his awareness is revealed by his extensive marginal commentary – despite the fact that John's commentary apparently defends the originality of the Corpus.^[6]