John Chrysostom and the Jews: Rhetoric and Reality in the Late 4th CenturyFocuses on Chrysostom in his own time, not in terms of later Christian denigration of Judaism. Presents the Antioch presbyter's polemical sermons in the context of the Roman Empire of the 4th century, when Christianity faced competition from Greek paganism, a living Jewish community, and Judaizing Christians. In addition, the plan of the Emperor Julian ("the Apostate") to rebuild the Jews' Temple, restore sacrifices, and return the Jews to Jerusalem undermined Christianity's claims to have superseded Judaism. The ferocity of Chrysostom's rhetoric against the Judaizers, who had been baptized in the Christian faith but whose actions gave the lie to Christianity, revealed how threatened the Church was, not only externally but also internally. |
