John Chrysostom on the Priesthood, Monkhood, Statues, and other stuff too

Last updated on: July 23, 2021 at 8:00 am by Coyle Neal

John Chrysostom on the Priesthood, Monkhood, Statues, and other stuff too 2021-07-15T08:13:17-06:00 Coyle Neal

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In my ongoing effort to read through one of the Philip Schaff volumes of ante- and post- Nicene Fathers at least twice a year (an effort which I continue to discourage others from trying). Unlike the previous part of this set (Augustine’s works), this is my first time dipping my toes into John Chrysostom. I admit I considered skipping this to dig into the most diverse second series of the Post-Nicene Fathers set (the ones with the blue strip instead of the green stripe). But being a stickler for order…

Frankly, this first volume of Chrysostom is excellent. Maybe all of it is, I don’t know. Though obviously there’s a reason someone slapped “Chrysostom” after his name (it’s not a last name, it means golden-tongued or golden-mouthed or something like that). Certainly he has all the theological problems of his day, at times inclining near to a works-based righteousness:

“It seems to me then that the reason why [Jesus] said nothing to that man [the paralytic lowered through the roof in Matthew] about the remission of sins, but only secured him against the future, was because the penalty for his sins had been already worked out by the long duration of his sickness…” (218)

Chrysostom then says that maybe that’s not it at all, maybe Jesus was talking about something else entirely there. So don’t hold too much of this “your works will purify your sins” against Chrysostom, it’s speculative when it’s there and never very well supported from the Bible (for the obvious reasons that such things aren’t in the Bible). Likewise his occasional asceticism is pretty mild all things being equal–and it certainly won’t do contemporary Americans any harm when set against our bottomless pits of gluttony and self-indulgence.

Aside from these sorts of moments, the sermons, letters, and essays (or at least ancient versions of essays) in this volume are excellent and absolutely worth your time. Chrysostom is pastoral, rigorous in his use of Scripture, and brings fascinating insights on everything from natural law to church/state relations to personal devotions. There’s far too much that’s good to give an involved overview here, instead I’ll leave you with Chrysostom’s thoughts on the difference between human desiring a prostitute and God’s desiring a prostitute:

“If a man indeed desire a harlot he is condemned, and doth God desire one? Yea verily. Again a man desireth a harlot that he may become a fornicator: but God that He may convert the harlot into a virgin: so that the desire of the man is the destruction of her who is desired: but the desire of God is salvation to her who is desired. And why did He who is so great and powerful desire an harlot? that He might become the husband thereof.
….
God desired an harlot, and how doth He act? He does not conduct her on high; for He would not bring an harlot into heaven, but He Himself comes down. Since she could not ascend on high, He descends to earth. He cometh to the harlot, and is not ashamed…” (258-259)

So get this book and read it and benefit from the great faithfulness of this preacher of the past!

Dr. Coyle Neal is co-host of the City of Man Podcast and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO

Previous Post

July 20, 2021

Common Grace, 2.49

Next Post

July 27, 2021 Common Grace, 2.50

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Action AFI Top 100 Animation Best Picture Winner BFI Top 250 Biography Biopic Books Childrens Christian Classics Classics Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Editor's Choice Family Fantasy Fantasy Films Foreign Historical Historical Fiction History Horror Horror IMDB Top 250 Indie Memoir Modern Novel Musical Mystery Non-Fiction Oscars Philosophy Poetry Popular Literature Reading and Writing Reality Romance Science Fiction Science Fiction Silent Sports Thriller TV Show Uncategorized Western Westerns Young Adult

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Let there be light"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elijah Moses Paul God