Preaching and the Cure of Souls

Teachers, particularly philosophers, saw the purpose of their teaching to be the therapy of the soul. Similar medical language can also be found in much Christian literature throughout antiquity, and Chrysostom is no exception. It permeates both his preaching and his discussion of preaching in his treatise On the Priesthood, and will thus prove to be important for assessing how he perceives and articulates his objectives as preacher. Despite it being a commonly used metaphor in his preaching, Chrysostom’s use of medical language has only very recently begun to receive attention, particularly in recent articles by Wendy Mayer, who has depicted Chrysostom as a ‘medico-philosophical psychic therapist’, and compares his ministry to the therapy of the soul exercised by many of the Hellenistic philosophers. Chapter 4 will largely support her arguments through a closer analysis of his preaching (her own research focusing more on a selection of his treatises).

Prophetic Preaching

Despite the evident parallels to other (non-Christian) philosophers of antiquity discussed previously, Chapter 5 explores the impact of the scriptural and Christian tradition on Chrysostom’s therapy of the soul. Although his language of medicine and the nature of his therapy can find parallels in medical and philosophical writings, his understanding of the goal of the therapy and what underlay the sickness was fundamentally different: it was not happiness that he wanted his congregations to acquire, but eternal salvation. He wanted to lead his congregations not to a state of happiness and peace of mind, but rather to a condition of fear and trembling at their sin before a holy God.

The State of the Evidence

Chapter 2 contains some preliminary reflections on the nature of the texts of sermons which have been preserved. A number of scholars have expressed concerns about the reliability of the textual tradition, concerns which rarely find their way into broader scholarship. The state of the evidence, however, must be critically assessed in order to have a clear understanding of the limitations of the evidence and to be able to mitigate such limitations. This chapter therefore discusses two key issues raised by recent scholarship with regard to the sermons of Chrysostom: the reliability of the process of transmission from the first written versions to the earliest manuscripts; and the relationship between the written text and the sermon which was actually delivered. The issues will by no means be resolved, but an awareness of the difficulties of the texts is necessary before a close study of those texts can be undertaken.

The Congregation

Chapter 7 turns finally to the implications of the previous chapters’ findings. Focusing on the issues of the social composition of the congregation and their level of commitment to (Chrysostom’s) Christianity, it is argued that sermon-texts are in their nature resistant to being used as sources for this kind of social history. Following Derek Krueger’s study of Byzantine liturgy, it is argued that sermons instead present how Chrysostom viewed his congregation, and how he wanted them to view themselves. How he addressed his congregation cannot be separated from his scripturally informed ecclesiology: for Chrysostom, his congregation are an instantiation of the Universal Church, the exalted body of Christ called to live a penitential life. His sermons can ultimately tell us only about his own construction of his congregation, though it is one which would in turn have gone some way to shaping the congregation’s own self-conception.

Introduction

Recent studies have taken Chrysostom’s critical language as either reflecting a congregation which was rather lacklustre in its faith, or as reflecting a preacher who was somewhat ‘out of touch’. In either case, the relationship between the preacher and his congregation would appear somewhat strained. But such narratives do not tally with the clear testimony of the sources to Chrysostom’s popularity and the affection in which he was held by many Christians: the fact that Chrysostom was a popular preacher seems to have been lost from this scholarship. This chapter begins by setting out some of the broad themes in current late-antique and Chrysostomian research, before focusing on those particular studies to which this book is responding. This is followed by an overview of the author’s own approach to reading Chrysostom’s sermons and the studies upon which that approach is based.

Conclusion

By expanding our understanding of preaching beyond it simply being an activity of communication and Christian formation, this volume has provided new insights into preaching as an activity in its own right and helped to explain the enthusiasm with which Chrysostom’s sermons were received. In this way, this study has (1) presented a new hermeneutic for reading Chrysostom’s sermons that is much more contextually based and theologically grounded than hitherto, and (2) has challenged current assumptions about how to use these texts as historical sources for popular Christianity in late antiquity. Consequently, the results of this study have a wider significance beyond the texts discussed, and this chapter outlines some potential avenues for further research.

Preaching and the Liturgy

Chapter 6 turns to the immediate setting of the sermon, its place within a corporate act of worship. Although a number of studies have drawn attention to the possibilities sermons present for learning about the contemporary liturgy, very few approach the sermon itself as a liturgical event. This chapter argues that the sermon was not an interlude in the liturgy, as implied by studies which treat the sermon only as a window onto the liturgy, but an integral part of it, and of vital importance for fully appreciating what kind of activity preaching was. It was not merely the communication of knowledge and ideas, but formed part of a liturgy of worship. Furthermore, when seen in that context, Chrysostom’s critical and fear-inspiring language can be readily understood as arousing feelings of awe and contrition that were considered appropriate at a moment when the believer entered the presence of God.

Preaching and the School

Traditionally, the sermon has been discussed by historians and classicists in terms of rhetorical genre, placing it within the context of classical rhetoric. Chapter 3 argues, however, that preaching is better understood not as public speaking per se, but as teaching or lecturing, a form of speaking which is less tied to set rhetorical genres. This approach, which sees sermons as fundamentally a scholastic activity, builds on the work of Frances Young and David Rylaarsdam, who have demonstrated the links between classical pedagogy and early Christian theology and exegesis. When Chrysostom’s preaching is viewed through the lens of classical pedagogy, his stridently critical language becomes no longer understood as the consequence of his frustration with a slovenly congregation, but rather as a typical characteristic of any teacher in late antiquity.