CHRYSOSTOM (ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM) ( X pUQOQTojsos, golden-mouthed) (A.D. the most famous Greek Father, was born at Antioch about A.D. 345. At the school of Libanius, the sophist, he gave early indications of his mental powers and love of classical culture. On being baptized (c. 37o) by Meletius, bishop of Antioch, he retired to the desert, where for ten years he led a life of asceticism and study. Illness compelled him to return to the world, and in 381 he was ordained deacon, and in 386 priest. He won great reputation by his preaching at Antioch, especially by his homilies on The Statues, delivered when the people feared the consequences of the destruction of the statues of the emperor Theodosius during a riot.
On the death of Nectarius, Chrysostom was appointed bishop of Constantinople (398). In this capacity he won the love of the people by his eloquent and devout homilies and by the ap plication of his ample revenues to the establishment of hospitals. But his reforming zeal also made him many enemies. The clergy were forbidden to keep lay sisters as servants, aimless monks were confined to their monasteries, and the extravagances of the court were strongly denounced. His enemies found a pretext for revenge in the shelter which he had given to four Nitrian monks who had been excommunicated by their bishop, Theophilus of Alexandria. Theophilus was invited to Constantinople (4o3) and charging Chrysostom with Origenism, thrice summoned him to appear before a synod. He refused to appear and finally was declared deposed, arrested and exiled. The threats of the people, however, led the empress Eudoxia to recall him. Shortly after wards his denunciation of the honours addressed to a statue of the empress almost within the precincts of St. Sophia led to the calling of a second council, which again deposed him (4o4) for having resumed his functions without its permission. The people fired the cathedral and the senate-house, but Chrysostom was hurried away to Cucusus (Cocysus) among the ridges of Mount Taurus. His correspondence with the different churches and the recognition of his orthodoxy by Pope Innocent I. and the emperor Honorius caused the emperor Arcadius to order his removal to the extreme desert of Pithyus. He died on the way at Comana in Pontus in 407. His exile gave rise to a schism and the Johannists (as they were called) only returned to communion with the bishop of Constantinople after the relics of the saint were brought back (43 7) and the emperor had publicly implored divine forgiveness. The feast of St. John Chrysostom falls on Nov. 13 in the Greek Church and on Jan. 27 in the Latin Church.
He elevates the ascetic element in religion and stresses the importance of knowing the Scriptures. In exegesis he is pure Antiochene, basing his expositions upon thorough grammatical study and not on the allegorical interpretation of Origen and the Alexandrian school. His writings contain the germ of later Eucharistic teaching and the invocation of the saints, but give no direct expression of the primacy of the pope or the necessity of private confession. As early as 425 Chrysostom was cited by the Greeks and Latins as a great authority.
His voluminous works include the early-monastical treatises, including On Priesthood, the many homilies and commentaries written during his priesthood and episcopate, the best known being those On the Statues and on Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Romans, and the letters which belong to the time of his exile and are valuable sources of history.
The best edition is that of Migne (Patrol. Graec. xlvii.—lxiv.) but many of the treatises have been edited more recently. Eng lish translations of some of the homilies and commentaries are in the Oxford Library of the Fathers. The most valuable authorities for his life are the ecclesiastical histories of Palladius, Socrates, Sozomen and Theodoret.