Book contents
- Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity
- Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Medicine of Moderation
- 3 From Dinner Theater to Domestic Church in Late Antique Antioch
- 4 Shenoute’s Botanical Virtues
- 5 The Places of God
- 6 Meals, Mouths, and Martyrs
- 7 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
1 - Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2020
- Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity
- Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Medicine of Moderation
- 3 From Dinner Theater to Domestic Church in Late Antique Antioch
- 4 Shenoute’s Botanical Virtues
- 5 The Places of God
- 6 Meals, Mouths, and Martyrs
- 7 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
For John Chrysostom, the most important meal in the daily life of his Christian congregation is not the Eucharist, but rather the ordinary domestic supper. As a priest in the wealthy metropolis of Antioch, John regards the dining room as the most dangerous part of the house because of its similarities to the theater, which he famously abhors as a cause of urban vice. He proposes an alternative script for Christian dining: instead of theatrical songs and raillery, psalm-singing and Scripture-reading; instead of elaborate sauces and marble paneling, simple fare and repentance; instead of envy and social climbing, true friendship and inclusion of the poor. Through such exchanges the Christian can transform the domestic banquet from a display of vice into a training ground for virtue, and convert the household into a little church.
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- Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity , pp. 1 - 21Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020