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Saint John Chrysostom – the quintessential, preeminent rhetorician (ὁ ῥήτωρ) and preacher (ὁ κῆρυξ) of the Christian Church

Saint John Chrysostom – the quintessential, preeminent rhetorician (ὁ ῥήτωρ) and preacher (ὁ... Chrysostom had a profound knowledge of the human soul and for this reason his speeches were so indelibly ingrained in the Christians’ consciences and had a profound impact on their souls. In my paper, I wish to emphasize, starting from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, that the homilies or the explanatory sermons on the divine words of the Holy Scripture, delivered by St. John the Golden-Mouthed and remaining for eternity in Christendom, represent authentic treasures of the light of Orthodoxy. Although it is not our intention to analyze the elements that characterize his eloquence, yet, it is relevant to highlight at least the classical clarity of his language and style, that can be still found in Demosthenes: the spontaneous outline, without any rhetorical device, of beautiful images and resemblances, the greatness of the exposition, which is ample on every occasion, rich, always new and actually accessible and didactic. John knew how to make use of any opportunity and any action to teach lessons that are beneficial from a spiritual perspective for his audience. Saint John’s characteristic is, indubitably, that he is a great rhetorician. For the most part, his work consists of sermons. I considered it necessary to mention that his sermons are a colorful picture of the ecclesiastic, political, social and cultural situation in the capitals of Syria and Byzantium and, what is more, a source of remarkable richness for theology, history and archaeology. For this very reason, his contemporaries and, at the same time, the generations after him, would not cease to proclaim him the greatest of the orators of the Greek Church. He considered that using words that would sensitize people, making them cry or applaud, they would internalize more easily the content of his sermons and, yet, he would not aim at being praised by them, but rather to spiritually restore them. John Chrysostom; orator; preacher; Christian Church; eloquence; style http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Romanian Journal of Artistic Creativity Addleton Academic Publishers

Saint John Chrysostom – the quintessential, preeminent rhetorician (ὁ ῥήτωρ) and preacher (ὁ κῆρυξ) of the Christian Church

LIVIU PETCU
Romanian Journal of Artistic Creativity , Volume 8 (2): 22 – Jan 1, 2020
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Publisher
Addleton Academic Publishers
Copyright
© 2009 Addleton Academic Publishers
ISSN
2327-5707
eISSN
2473-6562
Publisher site
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Abstract

Chrysostom had a profound knowledge of the human soul and for this reason his speeches were so indelibly ingrained in the Christians’ consciences and had a profound impact on their souls. In my paper, I wish to emphasize, starting from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, that the homilies or the explanatory sermons on the divine words of the Holy Scripture, delivered by St. John the Golden-Mouthed and remaining for eternity in Christendom, represent authentic treasures of the light of Orthodoxy. Although it is not our intention to analyze the elements that characterize his eloquence, yet, it is relevant to highlight at least the classical clarity of his language and style, that can be still found in Demosthenes: the spontaneous outline, without any rhetorical device, of beautiful images and resemblances, the greatness of the exposition, which is ample on every occasion, rich, always new and actually accessible and didactic. John knew how to make use of any opportunity and any action to teach lessons that are beneficial from a spiritual perspective for his audience. Saint John’s characteristic is, indubitably, that he is a great rhetorician. For the most part, his work consists of sermons. I considered it necessary to mention that his sermons are a colorful picture of the ecclesiastic, political, social and cultural situation in the capitals of Syria and Byzantium and, what is more, a source of remarkable richness for theology, history and archaeology. For this very reason, his contemporaries and, at the same time, the generations after him, would not cease to proclaim him the greatest of the orators of the Greek Church. He considered that using words that would sensitize people, making them cry or applaud, they would internalize more easily the content of his sermons and, yet, he would not aim at being praised by them, but rather to spiritually restore them. John Chrysostom; orator; preacher; Christian Church; eloquence; style

Journal

Romanian Journal of Artistic Creativity – Addleton Academic Publishers

Published: Jan 1, 2020

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