Luciana:
The literature on his anti-Semitic preaching is actually fairly extensive.
Rosemary Ruether in 'Faith and Fratricide', The Seabury Press, NY (1979)
discusses some of it.
The matter of his anti-Jewish attitude is important not because of how he felt or
expressed himself. That can be understood, if not forgiven, in light of the
extreme feelings generated in the early days of the Christian/Jewish defensive
positions. The main problem is that he is venerated without regard for the
destruction wrought by this aspect of his teachings, which the Church has not
condemned in the strongest possible terms. Because the Church needs to be seen as
perfect, it simply cannot admit ANY wrongdoing of its saints. That is one reason
why it has little credibility in the rest of the world. In defending the Church’s
indefensible position on anti-Semitism, its partisans resort to silly arguments
that there are Jewish anti-Semites and that Jews have spread anti-Semitism! To the
former, minorities often conform to their majority oppressors as a means of
escaping the pain. To the latter, no reasonable argument is possible. Indeed if
anything, it supports the suspicion that regardless of what has been stated
recently about progress in Jewish/Church understanding, in fact there has been
nothing of importance.
Test this for yourself. Ask anyone of the Faith what they know of Chrysostom and
see what you get in response. Indeed, your question is an indication of the
ignorance fostered by the guarded, restrictive teachings of the Church itself.
Introspective, self-criticism is hardly a characteristic virtue of it.
Finally, it is of no value to claim that future relations between the two faiths
will be cordial if admission of past transgressions are not fully and openly
admitted and taught to the Faithful. Because if past sins are not recognized and
admitted, it means that there is no recognition that they were evil. Thus, if they
are not evil there is no prohibition against their repetition. If anything it
guarantees that they will be retained as part of the ‘folklore’ teachings
transmitted by the Faithful among themselves.
Sylvan
Vivario wrote:
> --
> ****************************************
> Luciana Cuppo Csaki
> Societas internationalis pro Vivario
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> http://www.geocities.com/athens/aegean/9891/
> ****************************************
> To Sylvan Beer (and anyone else who might be interested):any evidence
> (bibliographical references) on the virulent anti-semitism of St. John
> Chrysostom? Thanks
> Luciana Cuppo Csaki
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