# John Chrysostom Greek bishop and preacher (c. AD 347-407); Patriarch of Constantinople from 397 until his exile in 404. Surnamed "Chrysostom", "golden-mouthed", for his extraordinary preaching. The most prolific preacher of the patristic era; his homilies on virtually every book of the Bible became foundational for Eastern Christian biblical interpretation and remain in use liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The *Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom* is the standard Sunday liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ## Biographical sketch - Born in Antioch (Roman Syria) c. 347 - Studied rhetoric under the pagan rhetorician Libanius - Became a monk and ascetic in the Syrian desert before returning to Antioch as a deacon (381) and presbyter (386) - Made Patriarch of Constantinople 397 against his will - Exiled in 404 by the Empress Eudoxia (whom he had publicly criticized) and supported by his ecclesiastical opponents (the Synod of the Oak) - Died in exile in 407, on a forced march through Asia Minor ## Major works - ***Homilies*** on Genesis, the Psalms, the Gospels (especially Matthew and John), the Pauline epistles (especially Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Hebrews), and Acts, many in continuous expository series. - ***On the Priesthood*** (*De Sacerdotio*), pastoral theology classic. - ***Against the Judaizers*** (*Adversus Iudaeos*), controversial sermons against Christians frequenting synagogues; have a complex and troubling reception history. - ***Treatises on Almsgiving and Wealth***, sustained ethical preaching against luxury and on duties to the poor. ## Theological contributions ### 1. Antiochene biblical interpretation Chrysostom is the most influential representative of the Antiochene school of biblical exegesis, emphasizing literal-historical reading and moral application over the more allegorical Alexandrian tradition. His homiletic method (long expository series moving verse by verse through biblical books) became a model for later Christian preaching. A recurring Chrysostom move is reading difficult divine statements as rhetorical rebukes. On [Genesis 3:22](/codex/genesis-3-22/) ("the man has become like one of Us"), he heard judicial irony: the surface words acknowledge a result while exposing the folly that produced it, closer to "see what came of his attempt to become divine" than to any admission that the serpent spoke truly. See [Genesis 3.22](/codex/genesis-3-22/) and [Tree of Knowledge Objection](/codex/tree-of-knowledge-objection/). ### 2. Social and economic ethics Chrysostom's sustained homiletic critique of wealth, luxury, and exploitation makes him a foundational figure for Christian social teaching. His preaching repeatedly insisted that what the rich call their property is in fact held in trust, that almsgiving is a matter of justice (not merely charity), and that the rich and poor stand equally before God. ### 3. *Homilies on Philemon* Chrysostom's homilies on Philemon, the shortest and most personal of the Pauline letters, in which Paul appeals to Philemon to receive back the runaway slave Onesimus "no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother" ([Phlm 16](/codex/philemon-16/)), develop the ethical implications of the gospel for the master-slave relationship. His memorable formulation: "You have lost a slave for a short time, but you will find a brother for ever." Chrysostom does not call for abolition of the institution but treats Christian brotherhood as fundamentally reconfiguring the relationship in a way that erodes the moral basis for permanent ownership. ### 4. Liturgical legacy The *Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom*, attributed to (though not entirely composed by) him, remains the standard Sunday liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek-Catholic churches. ## Mentions in [Defining Chattel Slavery and Biblical Servitude](/codex/defining-chattel-slavery-and-biblical-servitude/) - Cited (ยง13) for his *Homilies on Philemon* and the line: "You have lost a slave for a short time, but you will find a brother for ever." - Adduced as a patristic witness for the New Testament's "ethical trajectory" reading: the gospel does not pursue political revolution against Roman slavery but introduces theological convictions (Christian brotherhood, equal standing before God) that gradually erode the moral legitimacy of permanent human bondage. ## Mentions in [A Quick-Glance Guide to Aquinas Five Ways](/codex/a-quick-glance-guide-to-aquinas-five-ways/) - Cited under the Fifth Way (teleology): "The harmony of creation witnesses to the Wisdom guiding it", adduced as a patristic witness to the design intuition the Fifth Way formalizes. ## See also - [Augustine](/codex/augustine/), Latin contemporary - [Gregory of Nyssa](/codex/gregory-of-nyssa/), Greek Cappadocian contemporary; sharper anti-slavery voice - [Athanasius](/codex/athanasius/), earlier Alexandrian - [Chattel Slavery vs Biblical Servitude](/codex/chattel-slavery-vs-biblical-servitude/) - [Ethical Trajectory Hermeneutic](/codex/ethical-trajectory-hermeneutic/) - [Imago Dei](/codex/genesis-1-27/) - [Fifth Way - Teleology](/codex/fifth-way-teleology/)