Philosophers and ethicists have argued that disgust reflects our concerns and fears regarding the boundaries of the body. It is rooted in a false understanding of the body as impervious to its environment and invulnerable to death and decay. The fear is that making contact with someone deemed unsavory might contaminate the body and compromise the imaginary sense of the self as immortal. Chapter 3 examines such ideas among the early Christians. John Chrysostom, for example, recognized that disgust could be an impediment to performing the acts of charity and compassion that his homilies advocated. He addressed the problem by exploring the many ways in which the Christians listening to his homilies were similarly vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life. He provided training in virtue that attended to the realities of the destitute and to the nuances of human behavior. His homilies nurtured authentic emotional connections between the poor and those who were expected to help them. Jerome was also aware of the challenge that disgust posed for cultivating Christian virtue. In the context of his debate with followers of Pelagius, he explored the connection between disdain for human suffering and the implausible quest for moral perfection.