John Chrysostom

Past, Present, Future

 John Chrysostom
Past, Present, Future

Edited by
Doru Costache and Mario Baghos

AIOCS Press
Sydney, 2017
John Chrysostom
Past, Present, Future

Text copyright 2017 remains with the authors

All rights reserved. This text is copyright. Except for brief quotations in critical
publications and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

AIOCS Press
https://www.aiocs.org/publishing-house

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Title: John Chrysostom : past, present, future

edited by Doru Costache, Mario Baghos.

ISBN: 9780646975375 (paperback)

Subjects: John Chrysostom, Saint, -407

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.
Christian literature, Early--Criticism and interpretation.
Christian saints--Byzantine Empire.
Theology--Early works to 1800.

Other Creators/Contributors:
Costache, Doru, editor.
Baghos, Mario, editor.

The publication of this volume was made possible by a grant from Australian
Research Theology Foundation Inc.

ISBN (10): 0-646-97537-4

ISBN (13): 978-0-646-97537-5

Cover design by Ion Nedelcu

Cover photo St John Chrysostom, Cappella Palatina, Palermo, by Mario Baghos
(2016)

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 Contents

Preface ...................................................................................................................................vii

Memory and reception

Chapter One
Ecosystemic Agency: Christ, His Saints, and John Chrysostom
Mario Baghos ......................................................................................................................15
Chapter Two
John Chrysostom after Chalcedon: A Useful Ecumenist?
Pauline Allen .......................................................................................................................53
Chapter Three
The Reception of John Chrysostom in Early Medieval England
Daniel Anlezark .................................................................................................................71
Chapter Four
Chrysostomic or Ephremian? Tracing the Origins of a Saying
Attributed to Chrysostom in the Apophthegmata Patrum
Alexey Stambolov..............................................................................................................87

Theologian, exegete, rhetor

Chapter Five
Volition in Christ: Would Chrysostom and Maximus Have Agreed?
Adam G. Cooper ............................................................................................................... 107
Chapter Six
Chrysostom among the pro-Nicenes: Proof-texts and Problem-texts
Seumas Macdonald......................................................................................................... 123

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Chapter Seven
The Stylistic Influence of the Second Sophistic on the Exegetical
Homilies of St John Chrysostom
Chris Baghos ..................................................................................................................... 143

Present and future avenues

Chapter Eight
John Chrysostom: Moral Philosopher and Physician of the Soul
Wendy Mayer .................................................................................................................... 193
Chapter Nine
Reading On the Priesthood as Dialogue: Perspectives on John
Chrysostoms Ascetic Vision
Pak-Wah Lai ....................................................................................................................... 217
Chapter Ten
The King, the Palace, and the Kingdom: Anthropic Thinking
in Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, and Other Witnesses
Doru Costache .................................................................................................................. 235

Index ..................................................................................................................................... 267

Contributors ...................................................................................................................... 273

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 Preface

The volume you are now reading, John Chrysostom: Past, Present, Future,
collects ten chapters which in an earlier form were presented for the Seventh
St Andrews Patristic Symposium, held in Sydney in September 2016. The
conference was convened by the editors of this book, together with our
esteemed colleagues, Adam Cooper and James Harrison.
The chapters included here, written by eight scholars from Australia
and two from abroad, offer new interdenominational and crossdisciplinary
perspectives on the life, thought, and legacy of one of the most influential
bishops of Late Antiquity, Saint John Chrysostom of Constantinople (d. 407).
In so doing, they join a global phenomenon which, as highlighted by Wendy
Mayer in chapter eight, represents a significant shift of direction in early
Christian, patristic, and medieval studies. Throughout the twentieth century,
the scholarly landscape was dominated by research on such representatives of
the Christian tradition as Origen the Alexandrian, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine
of Hippo, and Maximus the Confessor, whose manifold contributions have
been and still constitute the focus of analyses that have reached industrial
proportions. In the shadow of the speculative thinking, mystical insight,
ascetic wisdom, and doctrinal acumen of these giants, the input of Chrysostom
seemed unable to elicit similar attention on the part of scholars. Indeed,
when considering the specialised literature, one notices that his otherwise
imposing corpus of writings has not sparked an equal scholarly fascination
in the last century.
Against this backdrop, the rise of Chrysostomian studies in the last couple
of decades amounts to a landslide. They fill a gap in the overall understanding

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of the early Christian centuries, casting fresh new light upon forgotten
horizons of ecclesial, social, and cultural complexity. Within this new setting
emerges out of oblivion another side to Chrysostom, equally gigantic, that of
a versatile pastor, exegete, preacher, and theologian of note, whose lasting
impact on Christian history, east and west, is undeniable. It is this figure,
we read in chapter two, by Pauline Allen, who was perceived long after his
own time as a man for all seasons, frequently claimed as supporter by
opposite sides and so not a marginal player at all. It seems that a similar
intuition concerning the relevance of his manifold contributions fuels the
development of Chrysostomian studies in our time.
Perhaps not without a providential nudge, the revived scholarly interest in
Chrysostom is without a doubt motivated, possibly on a subconscious level, by
the exigencies of our time, which, more than the illustrious input of the great
speculative theologians, system builders, and polemicists of the past, needs
the grassroots oriented discourse of one like him. And although scholars will
continue to pursue their academic interest in Chrysostom irrespective of the
ecclesial setting, an attentive observer will not miss that today, more than
ever, Christianity needs lessons in wisdom to guide it through the internal
and external challenges of anachronism, fundamentalism, intolerance,
marginalisation, conflict, and violence inherent to its current circumstances.
In the light of these circumstances, by his realistic and pastoral cast of mind,
Chrysostom is a Church father for our age of tremendous challengescultural,
psychological, social, religious, ecological, and economic. At least, the shared
conviction of the contributors to this volume seems to be that Chrysostom
has much to offer today and, why not, tomorrow, as he had yesterday.
But the scholarly rediscovery of Chrysostom is not the only side of his
story. Whereas his personality and contributions have long slipped under the
scholarly radar, as they did up until very recently, that was not his destiny in
the collective memory of the ecclesial world. Christians have never ceased
to honour him, through the centuries, as Ecumenical Teacher in the east and
Doctor of the Church in the west. They have celebrated him, and still do, as
a scriptural interpreter, spiritual guide, preacher, political activist, ascetic,
contributor to culture, pastor, theologian, and saint. Particularly his martyrs
end at the hands of hostile imperial and ecclesiastical agents engendered the
admiration and reverence of Christians worldwide. He has been a landmark
and a source of inspiration for the renewal of the ecclesial lifeepitomised in
the ascription by the Byzantines of one of their eucharistic liturgies to him.
That very liturgy is still the most familiar fixture of the Orthodox Christian
experience, being celebrated throughout the year, every year since at least
the ninth century. It is fortunate therefore that scholarship has caught up
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with this towering figure, in turn bringing to the fore fresh new facets of
his diverse activity. In studying Chrysostom, everyone gains: Late Antique
scholarship and worldwide Christianity alike.
The portrait that emerges is not without contradictions. Chrysostom was
a profound thinker, but not one who would gladly immerse in speculative
thought. Out of care for the safety of his flock, he stirred the Christian crowds
against what he construed as dangerously different, yet he remained foreign
to xenophobia and violence. An exponent of classical learning, he was at the
same time a consummate shepherd, concerned with the wellbeing of his
flock. He was a refined theologian, with crucial contributions in the areas of
theodicy, providence, and free will, but never tempted by endless doctrinal
polemics, so favoured by many of his episcopal confrres. He was a skilled
exegete whose engagement of Scripture transcended the artificial boundaries
drawn by scholars between Antiochene and Alexandrine hermeneutics. He
was an ascetic, but not one that would turn a lenient eye to the irregularities
caused by the monastics of his diocese. A persecuted man, he was nevertheless
a fierce protector of the exiled and the oppressed, which actually cost him
both his career and life. Not always matching his devout representation by
the Church, this complex portrait nevertheless belongs to a hero of whom
the Church should be prouder than it is. Likewise, against the minor position
to which he was relegated by older scholarship, the complex portrait which
emerges is that of a star of first magnitude. Much more is still to be sorted
outfrom his posthumous role in shaping later christology to his immediate
pastoral and missionary concerns, from his adherence to the philosophical
trends of his time to the complexity of his approach to Scripture and the
spiritual life, and from his reception in east and west to the pastoral and
ecumenical lessons which can be inferred from his wisdom. Combined effort
across the disciplines is required to perform this enormous task. The book you
are now holding aims to do, albeit partially, just that, namely, to circumscribe
the universe of Chrysostom from a variety of viewpoints.
The topics addressed in what follows range from hagiography (chapter
one, by M. Baghos) and Nachleben (chapters two, three, four, and five, by P.
Allen, D. Anlezark, A. Stambolov, and A. Cooper) to particular Chrysostomian
contributions, such as christological (chapters five and six, by A. Cooper and
S. Macdonald), pastoral (chapters eight and nine, by W. Mayer and P-W. Lai),
rhetorical (chapters six, seven, and nine, by S. Macdonald, C. Baghos, and
P-W. Lai), exegetical (chapters six, seven, and ten, by S. Macdonald, C. Baghos,
and D. Costache), and ecological (chapters one and ten, by M. Baghos and D.
Costache). Most of these contributions straddle various topics and areas. The
authors had to so proceed due to the complexity of the matters of interest,
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namely, Chrysostoms diverse ways of handling things, which demanded
the adoption of crossdisciplinary angles. The contributions collected here
consequently illustrate methods pertaining to anthropology, cosmology,
ecology, hagiography, hermeneutics, history, linguistics, pastoral studies,
pedagogy, philosophy, sociology, spirituality, and theology.
The crossdisciplinary aspect is well represented within the volume.
Chapters two, seven, eight, and nine, by P. Allen, C. Baghos, W. Mayer, and
P-W. Lai, offer useful surveys of past and recent Chrysostomian scholarship.
Chapters two, three, and five, by P. Allen, D. Anlezark, and A. Cooper explore
the history of reception, theological, and ecumenical impact of Chrysostoms
christology in Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian sources, in medieval
England, and in the seventh century Roman and Byzantine controversies.
Chapters one and four, by M. Baghos and A. Stambolov, consider Chrysostoms
representation in Late Ancient historiography, hagiography, and the ascetic
literature. His pastoral handling of the challenges inherent to a diverse
cultural, social, and religious context, together with his views of the spiritual
life and priesthood, are examined in chapters eight and nine, by W. Mayer
and P-W. Lai, through the lens of ascetic theology, hermeneutics, rhetoric,
sociology, and virtue ethics. The same contributions of Mayer and Lai bring to
the fore Chrysostoms take on philosophy as a way of life. Chapters six, seven,
eight, and nine, by S. Macdonald, C. Baghos, W. Mayer, and P-W. Lai, search
for the impact of the various philosophical ideas, concepts, and methods
of Late Antiquity upon Chrysostoms thinking and writing. Particularities
pertaining to Chrysostomian exegesis with reference to the Pauline corpus,
the pro-Nicene use of scriptural passages, and Genesis 13 are discussed in
chapters six, seven, and ten, by S. Macdonald, C. Baghos, and D. Costache. The
volume begins and concludes with analyses by the editors, which bear on
environmental studies and highlight the impact of holiness, and lack thereof,
on the terrestrial ecosystem and the cosmos as a whole. And whereas M.
Baghos chapter considers these matters from the vantage point of religious
studies, Church history, and hagiography, D. Costaches contribution addresses
the same topic within a certain interpretive tradition of Genesis 13 in
the early Christian centuries, together with its assumptions concerning
theological anthropology, and from the viewpoint of contemporary anthropic
cosmology.
The topics examined within this volume highlight the richness of
Chrysostoms universe, of which some aspects, apart from their scholarly
significance, still have a ring for the Christian ear. In turn, the methods applied
throughout this book reveal the immensity of the task of spelling out his
multifaceted contributions, and how new approaches bring to light further
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aspects of his creativity. Together, these topics and methods point to the
reasons behind the subtitle of this book, for which the editors are indebted
to Pauline Allennamely, the conviction that Chrysostoms voice, which
reaches us from the past, will certainly reverberate beyond our own age.
Chrysostom was, of course, a man of his own time and for that matter, for
us, a man of the past. This historical dimension is reflected in most chapters
herein through explorations of what he said and why he said that within his
own timeframe. The same dimension transpires through explorations of how
his contributions have been received at the end of Late Antiquity and in the
Middle Ages. Chrysostom is also a man for the present time in that, as pointed
out above, beyond the gulfs of history his practical wisdom offers solutions
for impasses which challenge us today, as Christians and as a civilisation.
Consequently, several chapters herein draw parallels between his solutions
and contemporary issues. But Chrysostom is also a man for the future. It is
not difficult to predict that many of the problems which currently confront
our culture, society, and ecclesial life will stay for awhile. Thus, irrespective of
how appealing and uplifting the input of the other giants of patristic tradition
may be, the contributions of Chrysostom, by their resonance with matters of
everyday life, will offer wisdom and guidance for as long as these challenges
will confront humankind. On the scholarly front, it is equally predictable
that the largely unexplored Chrysostomian corpus will offer opportunities
for excavation for many more decades. In particular, the adoption of new
methodological approaches seems to mark the way ahead. In chapter eight,
Wendy Mayer offers, from the viewpoint of her concerns, an illuminating
summary of the current status and future possibilities in Chrysostomian
studies. In her words,
If viewing Chrysostom solely from the perspective of theology has in the
past led to a decidedly negative view of his contribution to the development
of Christian doctrine, while emphasis on his debt to his secular education
and his local environment is opening up significant new vistas, the current
challenge, they [i.e. scholars] would argue, is to marry together the two
theology and his moral-philosophical soul-therapy ... What is emerging from
this approach is acknowledgement that Chrysostom did contribute to the
development of eastern Christian thought in a number of not insignificant
ways, with the potential that more contributions will in the future be
acknowledged.

Through extrapolation, Mayers assessment is valid for any other topic

discussed in this book and very likely many more that have escaped our
attention. On this front, the last three chapters, by W. Mayer, P-W. Lai, and

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D. Costache, show fruits of such new investigative avenues and, implicitly,
suggest further ways of approaching Chrysostoms universe.
The authors and editors of this volume hope that this tribute will be of
service to scholars and students of early Christianity, Late Antiquity, and
patristics, and also to the various branches of Christianity in Australia and
abroad, which revere Saint John Chrysostom as a preacher, exegete, shepherd,
and theologian of note. We, the editors, are thankful to the authors for their
trust in our capacity to see this project to its completion. We express our
debt of gratitude, likewise, to the tireless and competent scholars who have
secured the anonymous peer review of the contributions published here. It
would be remiss of us not to express our wholehearted appreciation to Ion
Nedelcu, for his invaluable assistance with the graphic design, the layout
of the book, and the index. Furthermore, we voice our satisfaction at the
achievement of this first major contribution of The Australian Institute for
Orthodox Christian Studies (AIOCS), whose co-founders we are, together
with Chris Baghos. Last but not least, we express our heartfelt gratitude to
The Australian Research Theology Foundation, Inc., for a grant that made
possible the publication of this volume by AIOCS Press.

Doru Costache
Mario Baghos

Sydney
August 2017

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