Chrysostom: The Orator

by John Heston Willey

Publishers:

Jennings and Graham; Eaton and Mains

, 1906

Overview

Known for his eloquent preaching and public speaking, John Chrysostom was the archbishop of Constantinople and an influential early Church Father. He is recognized as a saint in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches and is one of the Three Holy Hierarchs along with Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus. Given to extreme asceticism, he lived as a hermit for two years before poor health forced him to return to Antioch, where he was ordained as a deacon—and later a priest—of the church at Antioch. His insightful expositions and discourses on the Bible made him a popular orator in the Church, and he was appointed archbishop of Constantinople in 397.

This volume contains John Heston Willey’s biography examining the famed preaching of John Chrysostom, Chrysostom: The Orator.

Key Features

• Captures different angles of the life of the early Church’s greatest preacher
• Includes insights into early church history and theology
• Provides ancient examples of effective preaching

Contents

Top Highlights

“The sentence against Christianity was in two counts: the Christians were regarded as atheists, and they were charged with unnatural crimes. The Lord’s Supper was called a ‘Thyestean Feast,’ and the Christians were believed to be guilty of ‘Œdipodean marriages.’ To the student of Greek classics these allusions are easily interpreted.” (Page 25)

“This he understood to some degree. In his work ‘On the Priesthood,’ he writes: ‘Much worldly wisdom is required of the priest; he must be conversant with secular affairs and adapt himself with versatility to all kinds of circumstances and men.… The monk lives in a calm; there is little to oppose or thwart him. The skill of the pilot could not be known till he had taken the helm in the open sea amidst rough weather. Too many of those who have passed from the seclusion of the cloister to the active sphere of the priest or bishop prove utterly incapable of coping with the difficulties of the new situation. They get bewildered, their heads are turned, they fall into a state of helplessness, and, besides adding nothing to their experience, they often lose that which they brought with them.’” (Pages 60–61)

“It was Macedonius, the hermit. ‘Take this message to the emperor,’ he said. ‘Man is made in the image of God. Do not destroy the image lest you anger the Artist. For one statue of brass destroyed you can erect a thousand; but destroy a human life, and not one single hair can be restored.’” (Page 73)

“But Chrysostom avoids this. His sermons are practical. He preaches on live subjects,—sin, repentance, faith, the redemptive work of Christ.” (Page 172)

Product Details

• Title: Chrysostom: The Orator
• Author: John Heston Willey
• Series: Men of the Kingdom
• Publishers: Jennings and Graham, Eaton and Mains
• Print Publication Date: 1906
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 192
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: John Chrysostom, Saint, -407
• Resource ID: LLS:CHRYSSTMRTR
• Resource Type: text.monograph.biography
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:21:35Z

About John Heston Willey

John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) was the archbishop of Constantinople and an influential Early Church Father. He was known for his oratorical skills and was given the epithet Chrysostom, or “golden-mouthed,” after his death. His homilies consistently emphasize care for the poor. He is one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, along with Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus. Both the Orthodox and Catholic churches recognize him as a saint and a doctor of the Church.