Saint John Chrysostom's Theory and Practice of Preaching
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Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1955 Saint John Chrysostom's Theory and Practice of Preaching George John Wuest Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Wuest, George John, "Saint John Chrysostom's Theory and Practice of Preaching" (1955). Master's Theses. 1333. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1333 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1955 George John Wuest SAJlfr lOBl~ CHRYSOSTOM'S T.BEORr AND PHi~CTICE OF PRZACHlNG 1q Georp lohn Wueat, B. J. A !he.is Submitted to the J.oult7 ot the Graduate Sohool ot Lorola University in Partial JUlt1~lment of the Requi1'6ments tor the Desree ot Master of Art. J'ebruar:r 1950 LIlE George John Wuest, S. 1., was born in Oincinnati, Ohio, September 1, 1927. He was graduated trom Elder High Sohool, Oinoinnati, Ohio, June, 1945. In August, 1945, he entered the Sooiety ot Jesus at Milford, Ohio. He began his work tor the degree ot Baohelor ot Arts at Xavier University, Cinoinnati, (Milford Juniorate Division,) and graduated trom Loyola University (West Baden Oollege, West Baden Springs, Indiana,) in lune 1950. He en tered the Graduate Division ot Loyola University in lebruary, 1950. Since September, 1952, he has been instruotor in Latin at St. Xavier High School, Oinoinnati, Ohio. iii TABLE OF CONTANTS Cha.pter I. nrrRCWCTICN.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 1 Patron of preachere--Purpose of this tbesla--Rela tion between oratorioal theories ot Chrysostom and .AUgUstine-Choice of sample seroons-... opportunene88 ot this thesis--Laudation ot Chrysostcm b7 Sozamen, Campbell.! BoS8uet, Monttaucon, carre, D'Alton, Sohaft--Heasons tor present nealeot. II. THE S(,UROES 0.1 OHRYSOS'l'CM'S .EUh,UENCE • • • • • • •• 8 Cla.ssioal etudies--Flrst and Seoond Sophistic- Proof ot classioal influenoe on Chrfsostom-- Deteots ot Seoond Sophistic-Supreme influenoe ot So.tpture--L1teral exesesls of Diodorua-- Olose contaot with audlenoe·-Problems oaused hJ· audlenoe--Laudatlon of Ohr7sostom's oratory by Fon.aoue, Monttancon, Sollart, Duebner. III. GElfiRJ;J, NORMfj l'(;R PREACHERS • • • • • • • • • • •• 18 Value ot treatise .2A.:tht.. ptlesi!Q9a--Plot ot trea tlse--Topl0 of BooiiJOUr andve--Strese on preach erts chara.ote....... Augustln.·s restorat1on ot 01ass10al rb.torlo--~ssential qualities ot anorator--Chrysos tom.'s agreement with Augustine on eeaential qual Itles--Ohrysostom's puritJ ot intention. IV. OOlfllaT ANI.; COlrJ.'J1'NT OF .rIVE SimMC.NS • • • • • • • • • 32 Revolt at J~tloch and the consolatory ser.mons on the Statues--Hom1ly seventeen--Captlvat1ng etteot ot these homilies-First I'anegyrio on St. ;Paul- Chr7sostom's method ot soriptural exposition- Homily on Eighth PsaJ.m--Rom111 against drunkaNs and on the Reaurrection--Btor,f ot Eutroplua-... Sermon in detense ot Eutroplus"Dt/~tonls ori tique. 1v v V. WISDOM • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Chief purpose ot praachlng--Preacher's wisdom in dicated by understanding ot Soripture--Frequent use ot Soripture by Chrysostom--Soriptural law ot love--Expresslon ot love tor God and men in Seventeenth Homily on the Statues, First Pane gyric on St. Paul, explanation ot Eighth Psalm. sermon on the Resurrection, in Detense ot mu troplus--Ettects ot Chrysostom's wisdom, VI. OLARITY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54 Importance ot olarity--Chrysostam's exemplary olari ty--Varied repetition in sermon on the Resurrection and in homily on Eighth Psa~--Parallel repetition and other aids to olarity in homily on Eighth Psalm --Rioh and simple vooabulary. VIr. FITTINGNESS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 61 Utility ot tittingness--Need ot tittingness shown by medioal simile--Chrysostom's preference for moral teaching--Sense of the titting manifested in seventeenth homily on the Statues~ tirst pane gyric on st. Paul, sermon on the Hesurreotion, homily on Eighth Psalm--Elevation ot style- Excessive emphasis in panegyric on St. Paul--The people's preacher. VIII. "CHARM • •• " • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• '10 Proper use ot charm--Chrysostom's preeminent chann -Ornament in homily on Eighth Psalm .and in seven teenth homily on the Statues--Deteotive Ornamenta tion--Dramatio introduction to defense ot Eu tropius--Evaluation by Ameringer and D'Alton- Secret ot Chrysostom's charm revealed by Cardinal Newman. IX. PERFECTION OF LANGUAGE • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 78 Chrysostom's practical purity of language--His usual precision--Skillful arrangement resulting frc~ in frequent hiatus. apt alliteration, pleasant asso nance. artful transposition and smooth phrasing- Verbal dignity--Sublime thought beautifully ex pressed. vi x. CONCLUDING APPRAISAL •• • • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • 85 Chrysostom's constant purity ot purpose--Superbness ot the detense ot Eutropius--Un,iqueness ot t he homi lies on the Statues--Perennial signiticance ot the sermon on the Resurrection--Excellence ot homily on Eighth Psa~--Fitth place tor panegyric on st. Paul- Little change discernIble in Chrysostom's manner- Ameringer's detense ot ornate style--Cardinal Newman's comments on Chrysostomts style--Supra-temporal glory. IBLIOGRAPHY .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1'\1 • • • • • • • CHAPTER I INTRO mOnON Pope Pius X in 1909 proclaimed St. John Chrysostom the heavenly patron ot preaohers ot the divine word. l The Vioar ot Christ chose this bishop ot anoient Constantinople as the model tor all who announoe the good news of salvation. The Ohuroh passed by Augustine, Basil the Great, mellifluous Bernard and other renowned preachers to award the first place to the Golden-mouthed Doctor. It would be possible and profitable to demonstrate why Ohrysostom has won this supreme honor, but the best way to appre oiate his eloquence is to read his works in their original dress. In tact, his writings otter a powertul motive tor learning Greek. This thesis, however, will attempt to show how St. John Chrysosto. in various types ot ser.mons and at different periods of his publio aotivity applied the nor.ms for a preacher whioh are stated in the fourth book ot St. Augustine's De Doctrina.Christiana, the first 1 Aota Apostolicae Sedi~. It Nov. 20, 1909, 793. 1 2 manual of Christian rhetoric.2 It will also essay to point out any changes in the profioienoy with which he oarried these norms into praotioe as well as any modifioation of theory disoernible from his aotual praotioe. Ohrysostom did not write a handbook of saored oratory suoh as the ~ Dootrina Christiana. His ideas on the matter are found in statements soattered throughout many ot his works, but his ohief thoughts are set torth in Books Four and Five ot the treatise ~ the P£iesthood.3 These thoughts, as will be proved later, are in oomplete agreement with the prinoiples ot ]!~ triQ~ gh£istians in whioh the oratorical standards of Greeoe and Rome are applied to the task ot the Ohristian preacher.4 Chrysostom discusses the oharaoter of the preaoher in relation to oratory; Augustine treats oratory in relation to the preacher~ oharaoter, therefore, the theory at the one oan be used to supple ment the theory ot the other. ~e selecting at ser.mons to serve as samples of Chrys ostom's art presents considerable difficulties because he has 2 Aurelius Augustine. De Dootrina Christiana, Liber Q,uartus ed, and trans. Sister Therese MItvan, Washlngton, :D.O. 1930, i ri 3 Right Rev. J. F. D'Alton. Selections from St. John Chpsostom. London, 1940, 162-163. ' - - - 4 Augustine, R! Dootrina C~ristiana, 8-13. lett us a more extensive literature than any other Greek Father with the possIble exception ot Orlgen.5 His works form a spa cious treasurehouse into whioh few enter. As will be pointed out hereafter the tive discourses ohosen to Illustrate Chrysostomte theory ot preaching are among his best sermons. In almost any biography ot Chrysostom the author tre quently has reason tor comparing a particular point ot theory ith a certain course ot action,6 but among the numerous works on the Saint there exists no explioit oomparison ot his main theo riss and customary praotice. It seems sate to assume that Chrys ostom usually made his speaking oonform to his explicit ideals; yet this assumption does not reveal what his guiding principles were nor how he realized them amid the pressures ot daily 11te. Suoh a revelatlon is the a1m ot this thesis. The work ot st. John Chrysostom has not been made the basis ot this thesis only beoause Pope Piux X has commended him. The papal enoomium does not stand alone; it represents the climax ot tifteen oenturies ot praise and admiration. From the very be ginning the magnetism ot his eloquence was apparent. • I 5 Rev. J. Tixeront!. A. I;ta.p.dboo,k of l!a tro10sY J trans. unnamed, St. Louis, )40., [1920J, 202. 6. For some ex~les see: Donald Attwater, St. John .Q,.hrysostom, Milwaukee g.939J. 27, 33, 54, 88. .. 4 'The people flocked to him,' says the historian 80- zomen, 'as often as he preaOhed, They hung upon his words, and could not have enough of them; so that, when ther thrust and Jammed themselves togeth er in an alarming way. everyone making an effort to set nearer to him! and to hear him. more perfectly, he took his seat n the midst 0; them and taught from the pulpit of the reader.' ampbell gives a broad conspeotus ot Chryaostom's posthumous Within a oentury ot his death the·Orient was calling him Chryscstom, the 'golden-mouthed,' in tribute to the talent b1 which he is al ways tirst remembered. He is not only the mightiest orator of Greek Christianity; De mosthenes alone ot orators who spoke in Greek has had a wider posthumous audienoe.