Chrysostom and the construction of religious identities

Abstract

LABELLING AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES Labelling of the self and of others is an important part of the process of identity construction. The fact that labels for religious allegiance permeate Chrysostom's writings is thus significant and should be seen as directly connected to his interest in identity construction. For adherents of his own religion he used the well-accepted label for the followers of Christ – Christianoi . This was the name given to all Christians at baptism ( Catechese 1.44 (SC 50.131)) but it also had special local significance because Antioch was believed to be the place where Christians were first called Christians (Acts 11.26) – something that Chrysostom often emphasized to his audiences ( Hom. in Matt . 8 ( PG 57.81)). Chrysostom also spoke of Christians as believers ( pistoi ) and those within ( tous esō ) because they believed in Christ and the one God and belonged to the Christian community. Those who followed the Graeco-Roman religions were at times labelled Hellēnes , a usage that had become common in the fourth century. Before the fourth century the most common terms used by Christians to describe those outside the Judaeo-Christian tradition had been ethnē/ethnos , and Chrysostom sometimes still talked of ta ethnē in contrast to Jews. Chrysostom also used the term ‘unbelievers’ to describe those who did not believe in the Christian God and Jesus Christ, and ‘those outside’ for those who were not ‘subject to the doctrines and laws of Christ’ and had not received the Gospel ( In Ep. ad 1 Cor. Hom .