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ISO KIRJA COLLEGE JONATHAN EDWARDS – “THE GREAT AWAKENER” A TERM PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR JIM LOWELL FOR THE COURSE OF INTRODUCTION TO MISSIONS BY ANTTI JÄÄSKELÄINEN SINT-PIETERS-LEEUW, BELGIUM NOVEMBER 2003 There would be no more heathen if we would be true Christians. John Chrysostom, I Epistle to Tim. Homily X TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. YOUTH AND TRAINING 2 3. CONVERSION AND ASCETIC LIFE 4 4. CHRYSOSTOM AS A MONK 5 5. CHRYSOSTOM AS DEACON, PRIEST AND PREACHER IN ANTIOCH 6 6. AS A PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE 8 7. WRITINGS AND THEOLOGY 11 8. AS A PREACHER 14 9. CONCLUSIONS 16 10. WORKS CITED 17 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In this term paper it is my intention to present an overview of a life of one of the greatest preachers, and writers of the Eastern church of all times. It is my goal to approach the topic in a chronological order giving a basic biogaphy of John Chrysostom. We will go through the life of this great preacher right from the years of his youth and training to the time he spent as a lawyer in Antioch. We will take a brief look on his conversion and years of ascetism and the early Christian education he received as a catechumen. In the fourth chapter we will deal with his life as a monk, a characteristics that was always part of his personality. After the rigorous times of ascetism Chrysostom returned to the city of Antioch and was almost immediately ordained to be a deacon and five years later a presbyter. In chapter six is included the time he spent in Constantinople as a bishop and the time of the exiles he was forced to go through, exiles which finally resulted in his death. In the last chapters we will take a closer look on his writings and his theological views. The Final chapter is devoted to examining the activity of which “the golden mouthed” has been most known throughout the centuries, his preaching. For John Chrysostom´s preaching was more than a profession. It was a divine calling, his entire life. As González puts it, “For John Chrysostom the pulpit was not simply a podium from which to deliver brilliant pieces of oratory. It was rather the verbal expression of his entire life.” CHAPTER 2 YOUTH AND TRAINING John Chrysostom was to become one of the greatest preachers in a century that produced such great preachers as Ambrose of Milan and Gregory of Nazianzus, a “giant above the giants of his time”, states González solemnly. These kind of superlatives are not uncommon in the writings of historians when they´ve tried to describe John Chrysostom and the effect of his sermons from his time even to the beginnings of the Reformation. To understand how he became the great man he was we have to take a look at his youth and training that enabled him to become the person we know him today. John surnamed Chrysostom was born in 347 at antioch, the capital of Syria. He was born to an educated upper class family. His father, a civil servant, died in John´s childhood, and thus he was raised mainly by his mother Anthusa. Her mother´s love was “deep and possessive”, González adds. It was possessive to that extent that when John told about his intentions to withdraw to monastic life she made him to promise that he would take care of her as long as she lived. John solved this problem of his monastic calling and his mother´s possessiveness by turning their home into a monastery. Before all this she gave her son an admirable education, and served as pious example of a Christian that John was to come one day. Chrysostom received his literary training mainly from Libanius, a pagan orator, who greatly admired his mother. Libanius was his most important influence in scholarship. In fact he wished John would have become his successor. When asked whom he wished to take his place, he replied: “John, if only the Christians had not stolen him from us.” He also studied philosophy under Andragathius. After the completion of his education John began to practice law, which opened him a career in politics. His talents were noticed widely, and Libanius had great hopes for his disciple´s career. Chrysostom himself, however, chose to leave his profession and the corrupted society he had seen so closely. He had made a decision to submit himself to the faith of her mother and follow the pious example she had set for him. At the age of twenty Chrysostom asked to enter the period of catechumen and was finally baptized by Bishop Meletius of Antioch three years later. CHAPTER 3 CONVERSION AND ASCETIC LIFE His baptism was the turning point of his life. Schaff sees it as a total renunciation of this world and dedication to service. Clearly the change in his life was radical and permament. The three years period of preparation John spent mainly under the instruction of Meletius.
Approximate Word count = 3302
Approximate Pages = 13.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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