Theological Term of the Week: John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom
“One of the most glorious preachers of the early Church, or indeed of the Church in any age.”.1 He was born around 349 and lived until 407.

• From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. H. Needham, page 220: 

John’s preaching in Antioch won a matchless reputation for brilliance. Later, after his death, the Church gave him the nickname Chrysostom, which is Greek for “golden mouth”. He preached his way verse-by-verse through books of the Bible, and was astonishingly direct and outspoken in denouncing sin among believers, especially the sin of compromising with worldly standards of behaviour. He also made hard-hitting criticisms of the way that rich Christians used or abused their wealth. Others wrote down Chrysostom’s sermons as he preached them, and many have survived, e.g. his 58 sermons on selected Psalms, 90 sermons on Matthew’s Gospel, and 88 on John’s. Most modern students find them to be among the easiest to read and most practically helpful of all the writings of the early Church fathers.

Learn more:

1. Got Questions: Who was John Chrysostom?
2. Theopedia: John Chrysostom
3. 5 Minutes in Church History: This Church Father Could Preach
4. Christian History Institute: Christian History Timeline: John Chrysostom
5. Christian Classics Ethereal Library: John Chrysostom

Related terms:

• Ambrose of Milan
• Athanasius
• Basil of Caesarea
• Cappadocian fathers
• Gregory of Nanzianzus
• Gregory of Nyssa
• Hilary of Poitiers
• Irenaeus of Lyons
• Justin Martyr
• Origen
• Sabellius
• Tertullian

Filed under Christian History

1From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. R. Needham.

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