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“John Chrysostom on The Rich and The Poor”
From Homily XXXIV on I Corinthians 13: 8
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Many
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Hagit Amirav
Rhetoric and Tradition: John Chrysostom on Noah and the Flood (Traditio Exegetica Graeca, 12) ----------- Chrysostomus Baur
John Chrysostom and His Time: Volume 1: Antioch ----------- Chrysostomus Baur
John Chrysostom and His Time, Vol. 2: Constantinople ----------- Duane A. Garrett ----------- Blake Goodall ----------- Peter Gorday -----------
Aideen M. Hartney John Chrysostom and the Transformation of the City ----------- Robert Allen Krupp ----------- Mel Lawrenz
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Jaclyn LaRae Maxwell Christianization and Communication in Late Antiquity: John Chrysostom and his Congregation in Antioch -----------
Margaret Mary Mitchell Heavenly Trumpet: John Chrysostom and the Art of Pauline Interpretation ----------- Robert Louis Wilken
John Chrysostom and the Jews: Rhetoric and Reality in the Late 4th Century ----------- TRANSLATIONS
Gus George Christo On Repentance and Almsgiving (The Fathers of the Church) ----------- Thomas Aquinas Goggin
Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist: Homilies 48-88 (The Fathers of the Church, 41) -----------
Robert C. Hill Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis ----------- David G. Hunter ----------- M.C.W. Laistner -----------
Wendy Mayer John Chrysostom (The Early Church Fathers) -----------
Mayer and Bronwen The Cult of the Saints (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press Popular Patristics) -----------
Graham Neville Six Books on the Priesthood (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press Popular Patristics Series) -----------
? Catherine P. Roth On Wealth and Poverty -----------
? David Anderson On Marriage and Family Life ----------- Margaret A Schatkin ----------- Sally Shore
On Virginity Against Remarriage (Studies in Women and Religion, V. 9) -----------
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And that thou mayest see it more clearly, let us
suppose, if it seem good, two cities, the one of rich only, but the other of
poor; and neither in that of the rich let there be any poor man, nor in that of
the poor any rich; but let us purge out both thoroughly, and see which will be
the more able to support itself. For if we find that of the poor able, it is
evident that the rich will more stand in need of them. Now then, in that city of
the affluent there will be no manufacturer, no builder, no carpenter, no
shoe-maker, no baker, no husbandman , no brazier, no rope-maker, nor any other
such trade. For who among the rich would ever choose to follow these crafts,
seeing that the very men who take them in hand, when they become rich, endure no
longer the discomfort caused by these works? How then shall this our city stand?
“The rich,” it is replied, “giving money, will buy these things of the poor.”
Well then, they will not be sufficient for themselves, their needing the others
proves that. But how will they build houses? Will they purchase this too? But
the nature of things cannot admit this. Therefore they must needs invite the
artificers thither, and destroy the law, which we made at first when we were
founding the city. For you remember, that we said, “let there be no poor man
within it.” But, lo, necessity, even against our will, hath invited and brought
them in. Whence it is evident that it is impossible without poor for a city to
subsist: since if the city were to continue refusing to admit any of these, it
will be no longer a city but will perish. Plainly then it will not support
itself, unless it shall collect the poor as a kind of preservers, to be within
itself. But let us look also upon the city of the poor, whether this too will be
in a like needy condition, on being deprived of the rich. And first let us in
our discourse thoroughly clear the nature of riches, and point them out plainly.
What then may riches be? Gold, and silver, and precious stones, and garments
silken, purple, and embroidered with gold. Now then that we have seen what
riches are, let us drive them away from our city of the poor: and if we are to
make it purely a city of poor persons, let not any gold appear there, no not in
a dream, nor garments of such quality; and if you will, neither silver, nor
vessels of silver. What then? Because of this will that city and its concerns
live in want, tell me? Not at all. For suppose first there should be need to
build; one does not want gold and silver and pearls, but skill, and hands, and
hands not of any kind, but such as are become callous, and fingers hardened, and
great strength, and wood, and stones: suppose again one would weave a garment,
neither here have we need of gold and silver, but, as before, of hands and
skill, and women to work. And what if one require husbandry, and digging the
ground? Is it rich men who are wanted, or poor? It is evident to every one,
poor. And when iron too is to be wrought, or any such thing to be done, this is
the race of men whereof we most stand in need. What respect then remains wherein
we may stand in need of the rich? except the thing required be, to pull down
this city. For should that sort of people make an entrance, and these
philosophers, for (for I call them philosophers, who seek after nothing
superfluous,) should fall to desiring gold and jewels, giving themselves up to
idleness and luxury; they will ruin everything from that day forward. |
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Homily 34 on 1 Corinthians 13
Homilia XXXIV I Corinthians
original Greek text
John Chrysostom Rich and Poor
John Chrysostom in Greek with English Translation
social justice
relations between rich and poor
Dives and Lazarus
can the rich manage without the poor
can the poor manage without the rich
Migne Greek Text
Patrologiae Graecae Cursus Completus
Patrologia Graeca
