Abraham in the Works of John Chrysostom

2. Abraham’s Virtue

2 Abraham’s Virtue 1. Introduction In classical thought, virtue was not an abstract concept but was rather an identifiable and quantifiable human characteristic that was defined by discrete categories. The Christian theological or Pauline virtues expanded upon the classical categories without displacing them. Sophistic oratory was used by preChristian orators to transform their students through the use of an exemplary model that proved that such virtue was indeed attainable. These orators offered an encomium of praise the goal of which was to urge the listener to emulate the subject of the encomium in an effort to emulate the virtue of the subject of praise. Just as virtue had defined categories, so too did the encomium possess a set of prescribed criteria used to describe such virtue. John Chrysostom’s presentation of Abraham was consistent with the encomiastic style of the age and as such was bound by the conventions of the rhetorical methods he inherited. The principal goal of his encomium was to praise the virtue of the patriarch with the hope of inspiring the members of his congregation to imitate that virtue. The classical encomium maintained strict conventions with which to describe such virtue, and Chrysostom did his best to fulfill the requirements of the style by taking Abraham’s qualities, as presented in scripture, and associating them with the categories of virtue used by orators from antiquity. The task of presenting Chrysostom as a model of virtue was made easier by Abraham’s inherent qualities as described in the Genesis narratives. These presented an abundance of material well suited to the classical categories of virtue. Where needed, however, Chrysostom massaged the scriptural descriptions of the patriarch—exaggerating positive qualities, minimizing weaknesses, and filling in features that may have been absent from the narrative—in order to paint a complete picture of Abraham as both a true, classical man of virtue and a Christianized figure worthy of emulation. The 47 picture of Abraham that appeared on the canvas of Chrysostom’s homilies was that of the heroic exemplar who possessed a virtuous body and soul, overcame obstacles, and emerged victorious to earn the crown of glory he richly deserved. Chrysostom, although schooled in the classical methods, was still a Christian homilist, and he married the Pauline or theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity with their classical counterparts to create an image of virtue that was both that of a Stoic sage and a Christian saint. Certainly Chrysostom was not a pioneer in merging classical virtue with Pauline virtue. Other fathers, also conversant with the Greco-Roman educational system, made a similar rhetorical move. Each father, however, had a particular style and method and used them to address their own particular concerns. Chrysostom’s presentation of Abraham as a model of virtue, therefore, reflects the ways in which he felt the patriarch served as an antidote to the spiritual weaknesses of his Christian community. In the following discussion I will present Chrysostom’s association of the classical and Pauline categories of virtue with the figure of Abraham. These associations demonstrate that Chrysostom was engaged in a conscious attempt to create an encomium of the patriarch. Chrysostom’s homiletical style, however, results in an encomium to Abraham that is dispersed throughout the corpus of his works. Chrysostom’s goal was to establish the credentials of Abraham as a saint worthy of emulation. Once he established these credentials, Chrysostom was free to use Abraham as one of his pastoral and pedagogical tools with which he ultimately hoped to transform, not simply individual Christians, but also Christian households, and in turn to reconstruct the social fabric of the cities in which he lived and preached. 2. Model of Classical Virtue The goal of Chrysostom’s rhetoric and scriptural exegesis was to transform his congregation from Roman citizens into Christians. Christ, in the eyes of the church, had a paradigmatic function as the “New Adam” whose mission was to restore the once-fallen image [εἰκόνα] of humanity. The high Christology defined in Nicaea and Constantinople and to which Chrysostom subscribed, however, made living a “Christ-like” life problematic for the members of his flock—many of whom were recent converts to the church. For Chrysostom, the saints of scripture offered a more immediate means of communicating what a Christ-like life was really like since they were unencumbered by the divine nature. One such prominent example from the New Testament is the Apostle Paul. Chrysostom often turned to the Apostle Paul as a...