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7 - Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2022

Robert Edwards
Affiliation:
University of Goettingen, Germany
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Summary

After Chapters 5 and 6, it is tempting to think that whereas other early Christians could be labelled ‘dogmatic’ philosophers, Chrysostom is merely a ‘practical’ one; perhaps he is even just a moralist. And it is true that if we were to compare him to, for example, Nemesius of Emesa – whom we have mentioned several times through this study – there is indeed a real contrast, despite their shared theological milieu. For example, Nemesius frames his discussion of providence within a long-standing philosophical debate, listing the opinions of various schools and responding to them with his own Christian philosophy. In contrast, Chrysostom rarely names philosophers and even refrains from engaging their ideas in detail.1 And these differences are not merely rhetorical but impact their doctrines of providence: for example, while Nemesius is consistent in his maintenance that all externals – including wealth – are goods,2 Chrysostom can occasionally refer to wealth as either indifferent or evil, knowing the danger that it can pose to virtue.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • Conclusion
  • Robert Edwards, University of Goettingen, Germany
  • Book: Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom
  • Online publication: 01 December 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009220941.008
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  • Conclusion
  • Robert Edwards, University of Goettingen, Germany
  • Book: Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom
  • Online publication: 01 December 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009220941.008
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conclusion
  • Robert Edwards, University of Goettingen, Germany
  • Book: Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom
  • Online publication: 01 December 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009220941.008
Available formats
×