John Chrysostom's Role

Abstract

Arguing that John Chrysostom was committed to a doctrine of “accommodation” at all levels and from the earliest days of his ministry, David Rylaarsdam situates variation at the heart of Chrysostom's priestly strategy. Chrysostom's manipulation of theatrical conventions in his treatises against spiritual marriage must be set within the pervasive commitment to accommodation. The extent of his accommodation argues for an audience he perceives as weak. He repeatedly preached from the pulpit against the dangers of anger. His early ascetic years also influenced his vision of the Christian life. The three important features of Chrysostom's self-understanding and social placement are his deliberate exercise of spiritual correction within the tradition of Saint Paul, his susceptibility to anger as well as his awareness of the expedience of its display, and his conflict with ascetics who seemed by their achieved status to pose a challenge to the ascribed status of the clergy.