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Sermons from the Life of St John Chrysostom
Our father among the saints John Chrysostom (347–407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the fourth and fifth centuries in Syria and Constantinople. He is famous for his eloquence in public speaking, his philanthropy, his denunciation of abuse of authority in the Church and in the Roman Empire of the time, and for a Divine Liturgy attributed to him.
- GenresTheology
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2024
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John Chrysostom
1,276 books231 followersJohn Chrysostom (c. 347–407, Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος), Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. After his death in 407 (or, according to some sources, during his life) he was given the Greek epithet chrysostomos, meaning "golden mouthed", in English and Anglicized to Chrysostom.
The Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches honor him as a saint and count him among the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church. Churches of the Western tradition, including the Roman Catholic Church, some Anglican provinces, and parts of the Lutheran Church, commemorate him on 13 September. Some Lutheran and many Anglican provinces commemorate him on the traditional Eastern feast day of 27 January. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria also recognizes John Chrysostom as a saint (with feast days on 16 Thout and 17 Hathor).
John is known in Christianity chiefly as a preacher, theologian and liturgist. Among his homilies, eight directed against Judaizing Christians remain controversial for their impact on the development of Christian antisemitism.
The Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches honor him as a saint and count him among the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church. Churches of the Western tradition, including the Roman Catholic Church, some Anglican provinces, and parts of the Lutheran Church, commemorate him on 13 September. Some Lutheran and many Anglican provinces commemorate him on the traditional Eastern feast day of 27 January. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria also recognizes John Chrysostom as a saint (with feast days on 16 Thout and 17 Hathor).
John is known in Christianity chiefly as a preacher, theologian and liturgist. Among his homilies, eight directed against Judaizing Christians remain controversial for their impact on the development of Christian antisemitism.
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August 28, 2024Great book to use as a devotional. Chrysostom was a pastor from the 300s and it's crazy how timeless his sermons are. One of my favorites from this year.
March 7, 2024
This is a collection of 9 sermons from various points in Chrysostom's life. Chrysostom starts each sermon by talking about some current events going on in his life or in the life of the Empire, so this is not his usual commenting line by line on scripture. You get a strong taste of his criticism of the wealthier and powerful people of the empire. He is clear that wealth is not an evil, but how people use or misuse their wealth and power is his target. He is a faithful son of the Church, praising the Church's role in the world. He is a firm believer in God's goodness and love, and interprets all things through this lens, including the effects of an earthquake - God was shaking things up so that people would turn to God in prayer. Not sure his thinking would be as well received today when through the news media we hear endless stories of trauma and disasters and suffering, often which make people question whether there is a God at all.
September 6, 2025
You get why he was called “golden mouthed.” Can’t miss the eloquence. But the value of this small collection of sermons has more to do with the editor’s choices. Chrysostom lived an eventful life, and the editor chooses the sermons that best bring out these events.
January 1, 2025
This oft-quoted, "golden-mouthed" preacher has been on my reading list for a long time. When my sister told me that he was to be the patron saint of my nephew, I decided to pick up this little book from St Vladimir's Seminary Press.
John truly lived an incredible life. As a 4th/5th century priest and eventually the Archbishop of Constantinople, he was at the center of an important time in church history. In an age that saw wealth in the Church growing, his critiques were sharp and consistent:
"What could be more faithless than this? What could be more pitiable than those hastening after wealth? ...Woe to those 'who trust in their strength and boast in the multitude of their wealth' (Ps. 48:6)" (p.39)
"Wealth is like a wild animal: if you try to hold it tightly, it runs away... Why do you cling tightly to your wealth when in a time of trial it is of no benefit?" (p.103)
But he was fair and nuanced in ways that his opponents didn't seem to appreciate:
"[W]ine is not evil, but drunkenness is. So also wealth is not evil, but rapacity is, and lust for money." (p.40)
"[M]any reproach me, saying, 'You're always harping against the rich!' ...I do harp againt the rich—yet not the rich, but those who make bad use of their wealth... A rich person is one thing; one who is rapacious is another. Someone who is affluent is one thing; someone who is covetous is another." (p.104)
John's language is saturated in scriptual references, both Old and New Testaments. This edition includes plentiful in-line notes as well as footnotes, and yet there were still many allusions left uncited.
In one of his most dramatic sermons, he spoke directly to a political leader (Eutropius) who had previously opposed the church, but now, after falling out of favor with the public, sought sanctuary at the altar of John's church:
"Vanity of vanities! All is Vanity! (Eccl. 1:2) ...Where now are the glittering trappings of your consulship? Where are the gleaming torches? Where are the rounds of applause, the choral dancing, the banquets, the public festivals? ...All of that is now more!" (p.79)
Though he began with harsh and direct words that one can hardly imagine hearing from a pulpit today, he moved on to admonishing the congregation to show Eutropius mercy:
"[D]o not hold a grudge, O man! We are servants of the Crucified One, who said from the cross, 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do' (Lk. 23:34)." (p.85)
"What pardon could you [the congregation] deserve? ...And how, after this spectacle is over, will you handle the Holy Mysteries, and how will you repeat the prayer that we are commanded to say, 'Forgive us, as we forgive our debtors,' when you are demanding vengeance against the one offending you [Eutropius]?" (p.89)
Eventually being sent into exhile (though it ended up lasting only a week), after the Synod of the Oak, John's life and writings show us that the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church was not monolithic. Theophilus, the Archbishop of Alexandria, was critical of John's frequent attacks against wealth, and John didn't mince words when speaking against him:
"[Theophilus] remains in his sin... You cast out the shepherd; what flock did you tear apart? You removed the pilot; what tillers did you strike down? You cast out the vinedresser; what vines did you pull up?" (pp.186-7)
And yet these controversies did not stop John from boldly praising the Church:
"[She] is more invicible than Heaven. For the Church is more greatly loved than Heaven. For He did not take a body for the sake of Heaven; rather, He took flesh for the Church's sake. Heaven is for the Church; the Church is not for Heaven." (p.176)
May God raise up in our day many Pastors like John, who see themselves as sherpherds called to immitate the Good Shepherd.
"I am ready to be sacrificed for you ten thousand times—and in this I am not in any way bestowing a gift upon you. Rather, it's my debt I owe you: For 'the Good Sheprherd lays down His life for the sheep' (Jn. 10:11)." (p.178)
This is an excellent book and served me well as an introduction to the life and sermons of this saint. The sermons themselves deserve 5 stars, but the brevity of the book deducts one star from my rating. Absolutely worth reading, probably not worth paying full price for a new copy.
John truly lived an incredible life. As a 4th/5th century priest and eventually the Archbishop of Constantinople, he was at the center of an important time in church history. In an age that saw wealth in the Church growing, his critiques were sharp and consistent:
"What could be more faithless than this? What could be more pitiable than those hastening after wealth? ...Woe to those 'who trust in their strength and boast in the multitude of their wealth' (Ps. 48:6)" (p.39)
"Wealth is like a wild animal: if you try to hold it tightly, it runs away... Why do you cling tightly to your wealth when in a time of trial it is of no benefit?" (p.103)
But he was fair and nuanced in ways that his opponents didn't seem to appreciate:
"[W]ine is not evil, but drunkenness is. So also wealth is not evil, but rapacity is, and lust for money." (p.40)
"[M]any reproach me, saying, 'You're always harping against the rich!' ...I do harp againt the rich—yet not the rich, but those who make bad use of their wealth... A rich person is one thing; one who is rapacious is another. Someone who is affluent is one thing; someone who is covetous is another." (p.104)
John's language is saturated in scriptual references, both Old and New Testaments. This edition includes plentiful in-line notes as well as footnotes, and yet there were still many allusions left uncited.
In one of his most dramatic sermons, he spoke directly to a political leader (Eutropius) who had previously opposed the church, but now, after falling out of favor with the public, sought sanctuary at the altar of John's church:
"Vanity of vanities! All is Vanity! (Eccl. 1:2) ...Where now are the glittering trappings of your consulship? Where are the gleaming torches? Where are the rounds of applause, the choral dancing, the banquets, the public festivals? ...All of that is now more!" (p.79)
Though he began with harsh and direct words that one can hardly imagine hearing from a pulpit today, he moved on to admonishing the congregation to show Eutropius mercy:
"[D]o not hold a grudge, O man! We are servants of the Crucified One, who said from the cross, 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do' (Lk. 23:34)." (p.85)
"What pardon could you [the congregation] deserve? ...And how, after this spectacle is over, will you handle the Holy Mysteries, and how will you repeat the prayer that we are commanded to say, 'Forgive us, as we forgive our debtors,' when you are demanding vengeance against the one offending you [Eutropius]?" (p.89)
Eventually being sent into exhile (though it ended up lasting only a week), after the Synod of the Oak, John's life and writings show us that the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church was not monolithic. Theophilus, the Archbishop of Alexandria, was critical of John's frequent attacks against wealth, and John didn't mince words when speaking against him:
"[Theophilus] remains in his sin... You cast out the shepherd; what flock did you tear apart? You removed the pilot; what tillers did you strike down? You cast out the vinedresser; what vines did you pull up?" (pp.186-7)
And yet these controversies did not stop John from boldly praising the Church:
"[She] is more invicible than Heaven. For the Church is more greatly loved than Heaven. For He did not take a body for the sake of Heaven; rather, He took flesh for the Church's sake. Heaven is for the Church; the Church is not for Heaven." (p.176)
May God raise up in our day many Pastors like John, who see themselves as sherpherds called to immitate the Good Shepherd.
"I am ready to be sacrificed for you ten thousand times—and in this I am not in any way bestowing a gift upon you. Rather, it's my debt I owe you: For 'the Good Sheprherd lays down His life for the sheep' (Jn. 10:11)." (p.178)
This is an excellent book and served me well as an introduction to the life and sermons of this saint. The sermons themselves deserve 5 stars, but the brevity of the book deducts one star from my rating. Absolutely worth reading, probably not worth paying full price for a new copy.
February 1, 2025
What more can be said of one of the most eloquent, well-rounded pastors of all time? These sermons are selected from specific, significant moments in the Archbishop's life. A favorite of mine, inspiring and uplifting, it encourages me to love boldly and love especially those in my own Church.
March 11, 2025
A brief but beautifucl collection
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews