Consolation to Stagirius / St. John Chrysostom ; translated by Robert G.T. Edwards.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

John Chrysostom, Saint, -407, author.

Contributor:

Edwards, Robert G. T., translator, writer of supplementary textual content.

Series:

Fathers of the church ; v. 149.

The Fathers of the Church, a new translation ; volume 149

Standardized Title:

Ad Stagirium a daemone vexatum. English

Language:

English

Latin

Subjects (All):

Suffering--Religious aspects--Christianity--Early works to 1800.

Suffering.

Providence and government of God--Christianity--Early works to 1800.

Providence and government of God.

Physical Description:

xvii, 156 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, [2024]

Summary:

"St. John Chrysostom served as a Christian priest in ancient Antioch. In 398 he became the Archbishop of Constantinople, and subsequently he died in exile in 407. During his years in Antioch, he received a request for help and guidance from a monk named Stagirius, who was suffering from both physical and mental ailments. This book is St. John Chrysostom's response to Stagirius. The saint affirms the goodness of God's providence and God's constant care for human beings, even in the face of terrible tragedies and suffering. A large part of this book consists of the interpretation and application of Biblical stories of the sufferings experienced by God's faithful servants, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Paul."-- Provided by publisher.

"John Chrysostom (d. 407) was first a priest in Antioch and later the short-lived archbishop of Constantinople. Although best known as a preacher, throughout his career he also wrote a number of letters and treatises, primarily to ascetic and clerical audiences. The Consolation to Stagirius is one of these treatises, written early in his career. Over three books, Chrysostom seeks to comfort his acquaintance, Stagirius, both for the suffering experienced at the hands of a demon – manifesting in nightmares and seizures – and for the melancholy he was experiencing due to estrangement with his father. The sources that Chrysostom draws on for this consolation are primarily biblical narratives: the lives of the scriptural saints. The first book comprises mainly arguments for God’s providence over Stagirius’ life and the lives of all the saints. Stagirius is to find comfort in the fact that God directs all things—including those that seem evil—for the benefit of those whom he loves. The second and third books are then extended narrations of the sufferings of the patriarchs and the prophets and, much more briefly, the apostles. Stagirius is to compare his sufferings to those who went before and to learn that suffering is no indication of a lack of God’s providential care. This treatise thus contributes to our understanding of early Christian attitudes towards the problem of suffering and the means of God’s providence in the lives of the saints."-- Publisher's website.

Contents:

Introduction: The occasion of the "Consolation to Stagirius" ; Syrian asceticism ; Despondency, consolation, and ancient medicine ; Divine providence, philanthropy, and human suffering ; Biblical interpretation ; Notes on the translation and text

"Consolation to Stagirius": Book I ; Book II ; Book III.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages xiii-xvii) and indexes.

ISBN:

9780813239224

0813239222

OCLC:

1442059447