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Chapter 1 - Philosophical preaching in the Roman world

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

Jaclyn L. Maxwell
Affiliation:
Ohio University
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Summary

In Late Antiquity, Christian preachers attempted to shape entire communities according to moral ideals traditionally associated with philosophers and their circles. They hoped to persuade the laity to reject worldly pleasures and honors in order to embrace the spiritual life prescribed by their sacred texts. Many of their ethical precepts were not new, but through frequent sermons Christians developed a systematic approach to instructing the laity in proper thinking and living. People listened: the widespread acclaim of many Christian leaders as popular speakers demonstrates that their sermons were well received. The rapid rise of Christians in this role requires an explanation, part of which can be found in the preexisting social framework for this type of contact between educated speakers and mass audiences.

The impact of pagan thought on the development of Christian theology is well known. Vocabulary and fundamental concepts of Greek thinkers, especially Platonists, helped many Christian apologists and exegetes interpret their Scriptures. Scholars have also observed the resemblance between sophists, rhetors, and Christian writers, focusing primarily on the connections of paideia and class. Their approach to the public, though, was another element of their common ground. Christian leaders, largely from aristocratic backgrounds, expressed concern for ordinary laypeople and self-consciously promoted the use of a “low style” to communicate with them. They drew on traditions of “popular philosophy” in the Roman Empire, which had played a role in shaping both pagan and Christian audiences' expectations of public preachers.

Type
Chapter
Information
Christianization and Communication in Late Antiquity
John Chrysostom and his Congregation in Antioch
, pp. 11 - 41
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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