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John Chrysostom: the story on HearLore | HearLore
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom was born in Antioch, Roman Syria, around the year 347, into a family that would shape the trajectory of early Christian history. His father, a high-ranking military officer, died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother Anthusa to raise him alone. The exact date of his birth remains a subject of scholarly debate, with dates ranging from 340 to 350, though most modern historians favor 349 as the most accurate estimate. His early life was marked by a profound struggle between the secular world of rhetoric and the spiritual call of the church. He was educated under the renowned rhetorician Libanius, acquiring the skills necessary for a career in law and public speaking. Yet, as he matured, his heart turned away from the courtroom and toward the study of theology under Diodorus of Tarsus. This shift was not merely academic; it was a total transformation of his identity. He eventually abandoned the life of a lawyer to embrace extreme asceticism, spending two years as a hermit in the desert, standing for hours, sleeping little, and memorizing the Bible. These practices left him with permanent damage to his stomach and kidneys, a physical toll that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Despite his poor health, he returned to Antioch, where he would eventually become one of the most influential figures in the Christian church, earning the epithet Chrysostom, meaning golden-mouthed, for his unparalleled eloquence.
The Preacher of Antioch
In the city of Antioch, John Chrysostom rose to prominence through his powerful preaching at the Golden Church, the city's cathedral. Over the course of twelve years, from 386 to 397, he delivered homilies that captivated the populace and transformed the spiritual landscape of the city. His preaching was direct and practical, focusing on the application of Scripture to everyday life rather than the allegorical interpretations favored by the Alexandrian school. He spoke with a clarity that resonated with the common people, emphasizing charitable giving and the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. One of his most famous homilies, delivered during the Lenten season of 387, addressed the citizens of Antioch who had gone on a rampage, mutilating statues of Emperor Theodosius I. John preached more than twenty homilies over the weeks of Lent, urging the people to repent and see the error of their ways. His words were so powerful that many pagans converted to Christianity, and the city was ultimately spared from severe consequences. His straightforward understanding of the Scriptures and his ability to connect with the common people made him a beloved figure, but it also made him a target for the wealthy and powerful who felt threatened by his denunciations of their excesses. He spoke against the abuse of wealth and personal property, challenging the rich to care for the poor and to abandon their conspicuous consumption. His homilies were not just theological treatises; they were calls to action that challenged the social and economic structures of his time.
When was John Chrysostom born and where was he born?
John Chrysostom was born in Antioch, Roman Syria, around the year 347. The exact date of his birth remains a subject of scholarly debate, with dates ranging from 340 to 350, though most modern historians favor 349 as the most accurate estimate.
What happened to John Chrysostom in the autumn of 397?
John Chrysostom was appointed archbishop of Constantinople in the autumn of 397. He had not sought the position and was nominated for it without his knowledge by the eunuch Eutropius.
Where did John Chrysostom die and on what date?
John Chrysostom died at Comana Pontica, modern-day Gümenek, Tokat, Turkey, on the 14th of September 407. He died during the journey to his final exile destination of Pitiunt in modern Georgia.
How many sermons and letters by John Chrysostom survive today?
Some 700 sermons and 246 letters by John Chrysostom survive, plus biblical commentaries, moral discourses, and theological treatises. His extant homiletical works include many hundreds of exegetical homilies on both the New Testament and the Old Testament.
What was the title of John Chrysostom's homilies against Jews?
In Greek, the homilies are called Kata Ioudaiōn, which is translated as Against the Jews in Latin and Against the Jews in English. These eight homilies were delivered to Christians in his congregation who were taking part in Jewish festivals and other Jewish observances from 386 to 387.
In the autumn of 397, John Chrysostom was appointed archbishop of Constantinople, a position he had not sought and was nominated for without his knowledge by the eunuch Eutropius. He had to leave Antioch in secret, fearing that his departure would cause civil unrest among his followers. His time as archbishop was marked by a series of conflicts that would ultimately lead to his downfall. He adamantly refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people but unpopular with the wealthy citizens and the clergy. His reforms of the clergy were also met with resistance, as he told visiting regional preachers to return to the churches they were meant to be serving without any pay-out. He also founded a number of hospitals in Constantinople, demonstrating his commitment to the care of the needy. However, his time in Constantinople was more tumultuous than his time in Antioch. Theophilus I of Alexandria, the patriarch of Alexandria, wanted to bring Constantinople under his sway and opposed John's appointment. Theophilus had disciplined four Egyptian monks known as the Tall Brothers over their support of Origen's teachings. They fled to John and were welcomed by him. Theophilus therefore accused John of being too partial to the teaching of Origen. He made another enemy in Aelia Eudoxia, wife of Emperor Arcadius, who assumed that John's denunciations of extravagance in feminine dress were aimed at her. Eudoxia, Theophilus, and other of his enemies held a synod in 403, known as the Synod of the Oak, to charge John, in which his connection to Origen was used against him. It resulted in his deposition and banishment. He was called back by Arcadius almost immediately, as the people became tumultuous over his departure, even threatening to burn the imperial palace. There was an earthquake the night of his arrest, which Eudoxia took for a sign of God's anger, prompting her to ask Arcadius for John's reinstatement. Peace was short-lived, and a silver statue of Eudoxia was erected in the Augustaion, near the Constantinian Hagia Sophia, his cathedral. John denounced the dedication ceremonies as pagan and spoke against the empress in harsh terms, comparing her to Herodias and her dance to the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist. Once again, he was banished, this time to the Caucasus in Abkhazia. His banishment sparked riots among his supporters in the capital, and in the fighting, the cathedral built by Constantius II was burnt down, necessitating the construction of the second cathedral on the site, the Theodosian Hagia Sophia.
The Exile and Death
The causes of John Chrysostom's exile are not entirely clear, though some historians suggest they have to do with his connections to Arianism. Others argue that the surplus of evidence reveals a struggle between Johannite and anti-Johannite camps in Constantinople soon after John's departure and for a few years after his death. Faced with exile, John Chrysostom wrote an appeal for help to three churchmen: Pope Innocent I, Venerius, the bishop of Mediolanum, and Chromatius, the bishop of Aquileia. Pope Innocent I protested John's banishment from Constantinople to the town of Cucusus in Cappadocia, but to no avail. Innocent sent a delegation to intercede on behalf of John in 405, led by Gaudentius of Brescia. Gaudentius and his companions, two bishops, encountered many difficulties and never reached their goal of entering Constantinople. John wrote letters which still held great influence in Constantinople. As a result of this, he was further exiled from Cucusus, where he stayed from 404 to 407, to Pitiunt in modern Georgia. He never reached this destination alive, as he died at Comana Pontica, modern-day Gümenek, Tokat, Turkey, on the 14th of September 407 during the journey. He died in the Presbyterium or community of the clergy belonging to the church of Saint Basiliscus of Comana. His last words are said to have been Glory be to God for all things. The circumstances of his death were tragic, but they also highlighted the enduring influence of his words and the deep devotion of his followers. Even in exile, John's letters held great sway, and his death became a symbol of the struggle between the church and the state. The story of his exile and death is a testament to the power of his preaching and the impact of his life on the early Christian church.
The Legacy of the Golden Mouth
Some 700 sermons and 246 letters by John Chrysostom survive, plus biblical commentaries, moral discourses, and theological treatises. His extant homiletical works are vast, including many hundreds of exegetical homilies on both the New Testament, especially the works of Paul the Apostle, and the Old Testament, particularly on Genesis. Among his exegetical works are sixty-seven homilies on Genesis, fifty-nine on the Psalms, ninety on the Gospel of Matthew, eighty-eight on the Gospel of John, and fifty-five on the Acts of the Apostles. The best known of his many homilies is an extremely brief one, the Paschal Homily, which is read at the first service of Pascha, the midnight Orthros, in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The homilies were written down by stenographers and subsequently circulated, revealing a style that tended to be direct and greatly personal, but formed by the rhetorical conventions of his time and place. In general, his homiletical theology displays much characteristics of the Antiochian school, more literal in interpreting biblical events, but he also uses a good deal of the allegorical interpretation more associated with the Alexandrian school. John's social and religious world was formed by the continuing and pervasive presence of paganism in the life of the city. One of his regular topics was the paganism in the culture of Constantinople, and in his homilies, he thunders against popular pagan amusements: the theatre, horseraces, and the revelry surrounding holidays. In particular, he criticizes Christians for taking part in such activities. If you ask them who is Amos or Obadiah, how many apostles there were or prophets, they stand mute; but if you ask them about the horses or drivers, they answer with more solemnity than sophists or rhetors. One of the recurring features of John's homilies is his emphasis on care for the needy. He was perhaps the most ardent preacher on social justice of all the eastern fathers. Echoing themes found in the Gospel of Matthew, he calls upon the rich to lay aside materialism in favor of helping the poor, often employing all of his rhetorical skills to shame wealthy people to abandon conspicuous consumption. Do you pay such honor to your excrements as to receive them into a silver chamber-pot when another man made in the image of God is perishing in the cold? Along these lines, he wrote often about the need for almsgiving and its importance alongside fasting and prayer, for prayer without almsgiving is unfruitful. Apart from his homilies, a number of John's other treatises have had a lasting influence. One such work is John's early treatise Against Those Who Oppose the Monastic Life, written while he was a deacon, which was directed to parents, pagan as well as Christian, whose sons were contemplating a monastic vocation. Chrysostom wrote that, already in his day, it was customary for Antiochenes to send their sons to be educated by monks. Another important treatise written by John is titled On the Priesthood, written 390 to 391, which contains in Book 1 an account of his early years and a defense of his flight from ordination by bishop Meletius of Antioch, and then proceeds in later books to expound on his exalted understanding of the priesthood. Two other notable books by John are Instructions to Catechumens and On the Incomprehensibility of the Divine Nature. On the Priesthood was well-known already during Chrysostom's lifetime, and is cited by Jerome in 392 in his De Viris Illustribus, chapter 129. In addition, he wrote a series of letters to
The Writings and Theology
the deaconess Olympias, of which seventeen are extant.
During his first two years as a presbyter in Antioch, from 386 to 387, John denounced Jews and Christians in a series of eight homilies delivered to Christians in his congregation who were taking part in Jewish festivals and other Jewish observances. It is disputed whether the main targets were specifically the so-called Judaizers or Jews in general. His homilies were expressed in the conventional manner, using the uncompromising rhetorical form known as the psogos, Greek for blame or censure. One of the purposes of these homilies was to prevent Christians from participating in Jewish customs, and thus prevent the perceived erosion of Chrysostom's flock. In his homilies, John criticized those Judaizing Christians, who were participating in Jewish festivals and taking part in other Jewish observances, such as the shabbat, submitted to circumcision and made pilgrimage to Jewish holy places. There had been a revival of Jewish faith and tolerance in Antioch in 361, so Chrysostom's followers and the greater Christian community were in contact with Jews frequently, and Chrysostom was concerned that this interaction would draw Christians away from their faith identity. John claimed that synagogues were full of Christians, especially Christian women, on the shabbats and Jewish festivals, because they loved the solemnity of the Jewish liturgy and enjoyed listening to the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, and applauded famous preachers in accordance with the contemporary custom. Due to Chrysostom's stature in the Christian church, both locally and within the greater church hierarchy, his sermons were fairly successful in spreading anti-Jewish sentiment. In Greek, the homilies are called Kata Ioudaiōn, which is translated as Against the Jews in Latin and Against the Jews in English. The original Benedictine editor of the homilies, Bernard de Montfaucon, gives the following footnote to the title: A discourse against the Jews; but it was delivered against those who were Judaizing and keeping the fasts with them. According to Patristics scholars, opposition to any particular view during the late 4th century was conventionally expressed in a manner, using the rhetorical form known as the psogos, whose literary conventions were to vilify opponents in an uncompromising manner; thus, it has been argued that to call Chrysostom an anti-Semite is to employ anachronistic terminology in a way incongruous with historical context and record. This does not preclude assertions that Chrysostom's theology was a form of anti-Jewish supersessionism. His sermons against Jews gave further momentum to the idea that Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus. John Chrysostom's most notable discourse in this regard is his fourth homily on Romans 1:26, where he argues as follows: All these affections then were vile, but chiefly the mad lust after males; for the soul is more the sufferer in sins, and more dishonored, than the body in diseases. He says the active male victimizes the passive male in a way that leaves him more enduringly dishonored than even a victim of murder since the victim of this act must live under the shame of the insolency. The victim of a murder, by contrast, carries no dishonor. He asserts that punishment will be found in Hell for such transgressors and that women can be guilty of the sin as much as men. Chrysostom argues that the male passive partner has effectively renounced his manhood and become a woman, such an individual deserves to be driven out and stoned. He attributes the cause to luxury. Do not, he means, because you have heard that they burned, suppose that the evil was
The Controversial Homilies
only in desire. For the greater part of it came of their luxuriousness, which also kindled into flame their lust. According to scholar Michael Carden, Chrysostom was particularly influential in shaping early Christian thought that same-sex desire was an evil, claiming that he altered a traditional interpretation of Sodom as a place of inhospitality to one where the sexual transgressions of the Sodomites became paramount. However, other scholars, such as Kruger and Nortjé-Meyer, dispute this, arguing that the author of the Epistle of Jude already interpreted the sin of Sodom as homosexuality in the New Testament.