Mindset, Moral Choice and Sin in the Anthropology of John Chrysostom

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Simply put, sinners by nature or sinners by choice are the traditionalpositions of Western and (Near) Eastern branches of the Church. JohnChrysostom, an early fifth century Bishop of Constantinople, took the latterposition. Having gained a basic anthropology from his training in the Greekpaideia, he understood the mindset (γν¿μη) to be the centre ofresponsibility of the person. Repeatedly in his homilies, the γν¿μη is heldresponsible for sin in action, thought, and intention. The mindset evaluatespassions and thoughts, and then directs the προäρεσις (the moral choice)towards the end decided by the γν¿μη. The γν¿μη, a store of deliberatedattitudes, is the very lodging-place of sin in the psyche. Chrysostom, holding our basic nature to be unchangeable, found in the γν¿μη, a facultyof the soul distinct from nature, a citadel of sin needing to be overcome bythe power of the Gospel. Then the person with a renewed mindset sets aboutshaping it to be conformed to the image of Christ.Ray Laird has been lecturing in Church History and Theology for over thirtyyears in Bible/theological colleges in Australia, and has served as Principalof two colleges and Dean of the South Australian Graduate School ofTheology. He has worked closely with the Australian College of Theology, serving on their Academic boards, committees, as Head of the Departmentof Christian Thought, examiner, moderator, and interim Dean. He holds aB.A. (hons.) First class, with university Medal, from Uni. Qld., a B.D. fromMCD, a research M.A. from Newcastle (NSW), and a Th.D. from theAustralian College of Theology. He was awarded the Medal of Order ofAustralia Award (OAM) "For service to the study of theology" in 2011.