On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom

by Robert van de Weyer (Compiler), John Chrysostom

These excerpts from the sermons of Saint John Chrysostom bring fourth-century wisdom to 20th century issues. Each serves as a brief introduction to a major spiritual thinker and as a meditation book for daily use.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Church, Theology, Philosophy

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Max Berendsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

More affirmation for me that Saint John Chrysostom truly is the "teacher of teachers". This short but immensely rich meditational work consists of excerpts from the many sermons given by him, many of which are still as relevant today as they were back then.

Finally a book that got me in a real Christmas spirit again!

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book of quotes from John Chrysostom's sermons. There are wonderful insights here, and many fabulous quotes on a surprisingly wide range of topics. Unfortunately, all of the passages are printed in isolation, without their context. There is no explanation given, no sermons printed in full, not even a reference to tell you what sermon the passage was pulled from. I understand the affinity that many people have for such "gems of wisdom" books, but I would have appreciated much more context and commentary, either by the interpreter, an editor, or even just John Chrysostom's context itself. I am afraid that myself and others could take far too much of the book out-of-context and misinterpret the true original meaning with only short passages to rely on. I would have given the book a three-star review, but the complete lack of references, making it impossible even for me to look up the context of the quotes on my own, is what caused me to drop it to a two-star review.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading St. John Chrysostom’s sermons, but when you take them out of context, they become a series of aphorisms. Enjoyable though they may be, you know there is more to the quote within a larger teaching. (Side note: as an Orthodox Christian, who hears the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom nearly every time, I was amused by the back cover's statement, "a major but little-known spiritual thinker of the early Church.)"

[Alex of Yoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read anything by St. John Chrysostom, I'm struck by just how aptly he was nicknamed "golden tongued". His writings are always powerful, provocative, easy to understand, and applicable to every era. This book was no exception!

This is a collection of snippets from various sermons of St. John Chrysostom on greed, money, and how we should treat our possessions and each other. It's amazingly modern and hugely controversial. You could start a revolution with this book, in some ways. I completely understand why the Empress had him exiled because there's a reason you don't hear much about money from the pulpit nowadays: the sentiment has not changed! But wow do we need to hear these words, especially today. He's gentle but firm in his approach, basing everything on Scripture and how God treats us, and he has something to say about every aspect of society.

The book is arranged as a daily devotional. Each page has a different snippet that is succinct and full of thought, perfect for starting your day or as something quick to read and gain inspiration during a workday. While it begins very solidly on addressing greed and money, toward the end it becomes more generalized concerning relationships and other larger topics. The editor includes a brief biography of St. John Chrysostom at the beginning, which is helpful.

I absolutely enjoyed every single page of this book and highly recommend it to any Christian looking for a good, timeless devotional read. It's an easy read, but it's deep and convicting. Hopefully it will inspire us all to live simpler lives and treat others better.

[Venya Barinov · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

Excellent introduction to and compilation of St. John Chrysostom’s sermons. Very straight to the point and thought-provoking.

I enjoyed the themes on approaching wealth, to whom does wealth belong to, the purpose and approaches to marriage, the meanings of suffering, and the importance of faith.

Reading this book has left me interesting in diving further into Chrysostom’s weightier-texts.

[Peter Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short (85 pages or so) book that contains excerpts from Chrysostom's sermons. Many of the sections address issues of justice, such as rich and poor, war, slavery, etc. This makes it pertinent to current conversations. Chrysostom is very quotable and his use of plain illustrations is a delight to the ear. I did not agree with everything, in particular his low view of sin. Still many of his quotes struck home in painful ways.

The main drawback to the book, which has been mentioned by others, is that there is no way to determine where the quotes come from in Chrysostom's writings. The editor should have listed sources so the reader could go back to the original if he wished. This means these quotes cannot be contextualized. I dropped the rating from 4 to 3 stars for this reason.

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a long review, because this was not a long book, but! I did enjoy reading it and I thought I’d share. The book is excerpts from homilies by Saint John Chrysotom, on several different topics, from poverty and wealth to marriage and relationships. Every excerpt is pretty short and you can read this text in under an hour, which I think is well worth trying out.

The only reservation I have is that the introduction to this book explains that some of these sermons are abridged and or rephrased to make it easier to the modern audience. Which, uh, okay, but then I start to wonder about the integrity of the text. How much of what’s in the pages is exactly what Saint John Chrysotom actually meant? I don’t know without consulting the original texts. Because of that, I don’t feel comfortable jotting down oodles of quotes from this into the Quotebook.

I still think it’s very much worth reading though, because it’s got a lot of good thoughts on Christian living.

[Matthew Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s so fascinating to me when I compare the creative sermonising of the early Church with the scriptures and with modern preaching, because the Early Church always displayed a unyielding fusion of biblical exegesis, rhetorical inventiveness, and, as is especially the case with John Chrysostom, moral urgency. The spirit of Paul, the constant spurring of people to seek moral clarity, the constant prodding of ideas and presuppositions is especially strong with this one, but not in way that feels forced or over the top. John Chrysostom used Scripture to denounce the obscene wealth of the late Roman Empire’s gentry, he used reasoning derived from a creationist outlook to condemn slavery and war as an “abomination” against a Holy Creator. Chrysostom’s preaching unites scripture, morality, and courage in a way that I think a lot of modern Christians could take some inspiration from.

[J.A.A. Purves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rich, challenging, and vibrant, reading this book ended up being incredibly frustrating because one immediately wishes that one could read the whole thing, rather than little bits and fragments. Translations and editions of St. John Chrysostom appear to be quite rare and difficult to obtain. If you happened to be one of those rare special translators who approved of and translated Chrysostom, WHY in Heaven's name not just publish a collection of entire sermons rather than scraps and pieces?

The title of this book ought to be "On Translating Sparsely: The Tightly Compressed, Truncated, Needlessly Abbreviated Voice of John Chrysostom".

In the future, I'd recommend reading more Chrysostom and reading less compilations by Mr. Van de Weyer.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are excerpts taken from translations of his sermons rather than full sermons. There are no Scripture proofs given, though most excerpts generally refer or paraphrase some Scripture. Chrysostom sounds shockingly relevant. Of these passages selected for this compilation, he is deeply concerned with social justice and economic justice for the sake of the gospel. He spoke pretty plainly about his convictions. Chrysostom was no capitalist, that's for sure! He wasn't a Calvinist, either, obviously. Excellent, "profitable" read.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of the sayings of John Chrysostom, the Byzantine saint. He advocated living a simple life and taking care of the poor. He also argued for a kinder relationship between husbands, wives, and family members than would have been typical in his time. He was harassed by other Christian leaders who resented his criticism of their privileges. Very readable and presents a positive program for the church.

[Kade · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to know how to rate this book, due to the compiler's statement that he took the liberty of paraphrasing and abridging the passages he presents. This, combined with the short length of the excerpts presented, makes it hard to know if the thoughts of Saint Chrysostom are presented fairly or are being manipulated.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick yet provocative read. The book eloquently and simply traces through the idea that we are stewards of the bounty God bestows on us. As such, we therefore have a responsibility to handle that bounty's distribution in the most responsible and heartfelt manner.

[Pastor Tim Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relevant spiritual direction for people who live in a world devoted to consumption and affluence -- all by a man who died in 407 CE!

[Vasilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and powerful reminders of how to conduct our life. St John Chrysostom had so much insight into how and why people live away from God. I haven't read much of his work before but I will now.

[Biruk Abate]

Beautiful!

[Alexis Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s giving Christianity meets socialism lmao but I did enjoy this book! An amazing reminder of the inherent holiness of living a simple life !

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet commentaries that are diverse enough to be helpful in many situations.

[Liz Yanguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

It's a beautiful prayerful book. These homilies are very inspiring and full of hope, faith and charity. Highly recommended to everyone.

[Jacquline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I saw this book, I was intrigued to read some of St. John Chrysostom's sermons, and these are excerpts from some of the best sermons ever given. Van De Weyer took the liberty of paraphrasing some of the sermons to make it easier for readers to understand St. John's sermons because he was a very powerful speaker. St. John wrote eloquently on how he feels about the rich. He thinks they're too greedy because they keep all the money to themselves instead of giving them to the poor. He believes that all rich people should give all they have and spread the wealth. Also, he is a firm believer that everything starts with Christ because He is our rock to depend on. St. John also mentions that loving one another is very important, especially in loving the poor and between husband and wife. He believes all relationships are important and need to be nurtured properly in order to thrive. This is one religious book that I really enjoyed reading because most of his points hit home. It is easy to relate to what he is saying because he talks about points that are relevant to any point in time, whether it was during time he wrote it, or today, or a thousand years from now. St. John even talks about adultery. He also talks about self-worth, mostly implying that it all starts with one's self and then onto others. There are many lessons to be learned in this little book. It is just a taste of what St. John has to say, and learn more, I have to look up his sermons that people used to take from him and read them to their congregations because they are so powerful and his messages are so strong. St. John Chrysostom was a powerful writer, and his words can reach any audience who going through any sort of problem.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is irredeemably tainted by the heretical, protestant interpretation of Our Lord's Body and Blood and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. On p. 55, Chrysostom supposedly writes, "Do you want to honor the blood of Christ? Then do not ignore his thirst. You have donated beautiful gold chalices for the wine which becomes a SYMBOL of Christ's blood...the service which we celebrate in church is a sham unless we put its SYMBOLIC meaning into practice outside its walls." On p. 56, it is claimed that "the whole ceremony is also a MEAL at which everyone has an equal place at the table." (Emphasis mine)

Saint Paul taught beyond a doubt that the bread and wine becomes LITERALLY the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Of all the Church Fathers, St. John Chrysostom was the one who wrote the most on Saint Paul and greatly loved and admired him. Chrysostom would never have written this damnable heresy. He would never have claimed that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is merely a "communal meal."

"Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord." 1 Cor. 11:27

"The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?" 1 Cor. 10:16

[Christopher Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book consisting of page long reflections drawn from St John Chrysostom's sermons. The compiler has chosen many that discuss wealth and poverty, although there are sections dealing with marriage and the family as well the governance of the church. This is a quick and worthwhile read.

[Theresa Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy, easy read. Very deep. Very good! One of my favorite saints.

[Chris Weakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, book is basically excerpts from the sermons and writings of John Chrysostom.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of sermon excerpts serves as a great examination of conscience.

[Patricia Pryor]

This is a great little book. Full of wisdom.