Archbishop of Constantinople, preacher
John Chrysostom
c. AD 349–407
Nicknamed "Chrysostom" ("golden-mouthed") for his eloquence, John's outspoken preaching against luxury and corruption in Constantinople led to his exile and death.
Life and work
Born in Antioch, John studied rhetoric before turning to ascetic life, spending several years as a hermit in the mountains near the city, an experience that permanently damaged his health but shaped his preaching style. Ordained a priest in Antioch, he became famous for extensive, practical, and morally direct sermons on the biblical text.
In 398, John was made Archbishop of Constantinople, where his reforms of clerical excess and outspoken criticism of the lifestyle of the imperial court, particularly Empress Eudoxia, made him powerful enemies. A hostile synod, engineered by rival bishop Theophilus of Alexandria, deposed him in 403.
Briefly restored after popular unrest, John was exiled again in 404 and died in 407 during a forced march to a remoter place of exile, reportedly with the words "Glory be to God for all things" on his lips.
His extensive body of homilies, especially on Matthew, John, and Paul's epistles, remain among the most read patristic sermons, valued for their practical moral exhortation and vivid engagement with everyday life in a late Roman city.
- Occupation
- Priest, archbishop, preacher
- Places
- Antioch, Constantinople
- Dates
- c. AD 349–407 Traditional dating
In their own words
"Glory be to God for all things."attributed final words
Further reading
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