Sermons on Jews and Judaizing Christians
During his first two years as a presbyter in Antioch (386-387), Chrysostom denounced
Jews and
Judaizing Christians in a series of eight sermons delivered to Christians in his congregation who were taking part in
Jewish festivals and other Jewish observances. It is disputed whether the main target were specifically Judaizers or Jews in general. His homilies were expressed in the conventional manner, utilizing the uncompromising rhetorical form known as the
psogos.
One of the purposes of these homilies was to prevent Christians from participating in Jewish customs, and thus prevent the erosion of Chrysostom's flock. In his sermons, Chrysostom criticized those "Judaizing Christians", who were participating in Jewish festivals and taking part in other Jewish observances, such as the
shabbat, submitted to
circumcision and made pilgrimage to Jewish holy places. Chrysostom claimed that on the shabbats and Jewish festivals
synagogues were full of Christians, especially women, who loved the solemnity of the Jewish liturgy, enjoyed listening to the
shofar on
Rosh Hashanah, and applauded famous preachers in accordance with the contemporary custom. A more recent apologetic theory is that he instead tried to persuade
Jewish Christians, who for centuries had kept connections with Jews and
Judaism, to choose between Judaism and Christianity.
Chrysostom held Jews responsible for the
crucifixion of Jesus and
deicide and added that they continued to rejoice in Jesus's death. He compared the synagogue to a pagan temple, representing it as the source of all
vices and heresies. He described it as a place worse than a
brothel and a
drinking shop; it was a den of scoundrels, the repair of wild beasts, a temple of demons, the refuge of brigands and debauchees, and the cavern of devils, a criminal assembly of the
assassins of Christ. Palladius, Chrysostom's contemporary biographer, also recorded his claim that among the Jews the priesthood may be purchased and sold for money. Finally, he declared that he hated the synagogue and the Jews.
In
Greek the sermons are called
Kata Ioudaiōn (
Κατά Ιουδαίων), which is translated as
Adversus Judaeos in Latin and
Against the Jews in
English. The most recent scholarly translations, claiming that Chrysostom's primary targets were members of his own congregation who continued to observe the Jewish feasts and fasts, give the sermons the more sympathetic title
Against Judaizing Christians. The original Benedictine editor of the homilies,
Bernard de Montfaucon, gives the following footnote to the title: "A discourse against the Jews; but it was delivered against those who were Judaizing and keeping the fasts with them [the Jews]." As such, some have claimed that the original title misrepresents the contents of the discourses, which show that Chrysostom's primary targets were members of his own congregation who continued to observe the Jewish feasts and fasts.
Sir Henry Savile, in his 1612 edition of
Homilies 27 of Volume 6 (which is
Discourse I in
Patrologia Graeca's Adversus Iudaeos), gives the title: "Chrysostom's Discourse Against Those Who Are Judaizing and Observing Their Fasts."
