John Chrysostom's Teachings on Wealth and Almsgiving
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This paper will explore John Chrysostom's understanding of wealth and almsgiving. My thesis is that, for Chrysostom, the proper understanding of wealth can only be achieved by first rejecting a popular, yet false conception of wealth and then redefining it in light of three theological principles: the principle of God as the sole owner, the principle of the common good, and the principle of virtues. Chrysostom’s teachings on wealth and almsgiving evolved from Antioch and Constantinople where the rich lived luxuriously while neglecting the poor. His monastic practice as well as his pagan education under Libanius contributed to the formation of his teachings on wealth and poverty. But the greatest factor that shaped his social thought must have been Scriptures which he cherished and preached constantly. For him, the deceptive power of wealth blinded the minds of the rich and confused them with false ideas of wealth. Through this confusion, a misguided understanding of “wealth as shadows” became popular among people. Having rejected and deconstructed this commonly held, yet false notion of wealth, he redefined it in terms of three principlesin order to provide a correct view to his hearers, namely, “wealth as reality.” The principle of God as the sole owner of all things broke the common idea of absolute ownership of his time and put the rich into a position of a steward. The principle of the common good fosters an idea that wealth possesses its true identity and existence only when it is used and shared for fellow-citizens in need. The principle of virtues turns the present impossibility of true ownership into a future reality. For Chrysostom, almsgiving is the most significant virtue by which wealth as shadows becomes wealth as reality. It transforms a mere owner of possessions into their true owner.
Abstract
This paper will explore John Chrysostom's understanding of wealth and almsgiving. My thesis is that, for Chrysostom, the proper understanding of wealth can only be achieved by first rejecting a popular, yet false conception of wealth and then redefining it in light of three theological principles: the principle of God as the sole owner, the principle of the common good, and the principle of virtues. Chrysostom’s teachings on wealth and almsgiving evolved from Antioch and Constantinople where the rich lived luxuriously while neglecting the poor. His monastic practice as well as his pagan education under Libanius contributed to the formation of his teachings on wealth and poverty. But the greatest factor that shaped his social thought must have been Scriptures which he cherished and preached constantly. For him, the deceptive power of wealth blinded the minds of the rich and confused them with false ideas of wealth. Through this confusion, a misguided understanding of “wealth as shadows” became popular among people. Having rejected and deconstructed this commonly held, yet false notion of wealth, he redefined it in terms of three principlesin order to provide a correct view to his hearers, namely, “wealth as reality.” The principle of God as the sole owner of all things broke the common idea of absolute ownership of his time and put the rich into a position of a steward. The principle of the common good fosters an idea that wealth possesses its true identity and existence only when it is used and shared for fellow-citizens in need. The principle of virtues turns the present impossibility of true ownership into a future reality. For Chrysostom, almsgiving is the most significant virtue by which wealth as shadows becomes wealth as reality. It transforms a mere owner of possessions into their true owner.
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