Justo Gonzalez, Ph.D.: "History of Christianity, Vol. 1:" Ch.21--Ambrose...

Chapter 22, pages 225-231. John Chrysostom—Chrysostom is a voice from the Syrian wilderness and, in time, returns to and dies in the wilderness. Chrysostom, a trained lawyer, turned theological student, is trained in the seclusivity of Syrian monkdom and scholarship. 6 years in the wild. In returning to Antioch, Syria, he get visibility as a preacher-teacher and, as a result, gets fast-tracked in 397 to the Bishopric of Constantinople. His fearless preaching, inculpating high-brows up to the levels of Empress Eudoxia and the house chamberlain, Eutropius, does not make him popular. The Patriarch of Alexandria gets into the Imperial matrix, perhaps pimping for Imperial favor, disfavors Chrysostom. Tensions are high. Chrysostom is highly favored and popular with the local and regional clergy and people. An entire complex of give-and-take, cloak-and-dagger, offline chatter, back-room bitterness and fear, leads to events of his exile. But, his departure is not fast nor easy. The tensions are high and Chrysostom refuses the order to leave Constantinople. Innocent of Rome sends an IG-team for an inquiry into the alleged injustices against Chrysostom. The IG-team is roughly handled in Constantinople, but they escape prison and an attempted assassination effort. Innocent rules in favor of Chrysostom and against Theophilus of Antioch. The palace intrigue finally results in Chrysostom’s final exile, first to Bucucus, Syria, but finally to some place on the Black Sea. He dies en route. Constantinople is a story with many chapters and no resolution. Ultimately, Chrysostom is reinterred in Constantinople amid pomps and thanks. Caesaropapism would be the standing rule of the Eastern branch of the Roman Empire and Chrysostom would not be the last of Churchmen to get the Eastern Imperial boot. Ambrose in the west would not be the last Western Bishop to resist the Western Imperial boot. Church versus Caesar? Christ is the humble Carpenter of Nazareth, but is the PantoKrator whose Word is above all earthly words. Ambrose and Chrysostom served God’s Word above governments and oppositional voices. They serve today as inspirational heroes and were God’s agents for their time. They speak anew in our time.