The Narrative Shape of Emotion in the Preaching of John Chrysostom, by Blake Leyerle

Abstract

Why was a priest named John (ca. 349–407 CE), from Syrian Antioch, considered to be one of the best ancient Christian preachers of his day—so much so that he was posthumously called by his many followers Chrysostomos, or the “golden-mouthed”? In this masterfully written piece of scholarship, Blake Leyerle argues that it was his understanding and strategic use of emotions (or the “passions”) in his narrative preaching that earned him this distinction. John Chrysostom has never been known as one of the great “theologians” of the ancient church. Unlike contemporaries such as Augustine or the Cappadocian fathers, Chrysostom seemed uninterested in formulating complex and intricate theological treatises and apologies. In fact, Chrysostom’s theology and teaching have, at times, even been considered to be inconsistent and incoherent. Scholars such as Robert Hill and David Rylaarsdam have argued that the notion of synkatabasis, or “condescension,” was actually the golden thread that bound his theology;1 Rylaarsdam goes so far as to call Chrysostom’s theology a “rhetorical theology.”2 Leyerle, in this book, takes us even further, and demonstrates that the emotions were central in Chrysostom’s homiletic programme to transform his audience into imitators of virtuous biblical exempla. Unlike Stoic philosophy, Chrysostom does not urge the suppression of emotion—quite the contrary, in fact. By using stories, “Chrysostom explores the sensations associated with various emotions, discloses their underlying thought patterns, and traces their impact” (p. 186). The book focuses mainly on four emotions, namely anger, grief, fear, and zeal. This does not mean that other emotions are not treated throughout the book. But the choice of these emotions is based