Against the Jews
Adversus Judaeos comprises eight homilies delivered by John Chrysostom in Antioch during 386-387, responding to what he perceived as a crisis within his Christian congregation. Many of his parishioners were participating in Jewish festivals, visiting synagogues, and treating Judaism as compatible with their Christian faith. Chrysostom preached these sermons to halt what he saw as dangerous religious syncretism that threatened the distinctiveness and integrity of Christian identity.
Chrysostom argues that Judaism, having rejected Christ, has been permanently superseded and stripped of divine favor. He contends that the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE represents God's final judgment on the Jewish people, making contemporary Judaism a hollow shell without sacrificial worship or prophetic authority. The homilies systematically attack Jewish festivals as meaningless theatrics and synagogues as places abandoned by God. Chrysostom employs harsh rhetoric to shame Christians away from Jewish practices, arguing that participation in Jewish religious life constitutes a betrayal of Christ and renders Christian sacraments ineffective. His theological framework rests on a stark supersessionist reading of salvation history, where the church has entirely replaced Israel as God's chosen people.
These homilies became influential in shaping medieval Christian attitudes toward Judaism and contributed to centuries of theological anti-Judaism. Modern scholarship recognizes them as foundational texts in the development of Christian supersessionist theology, while also acknowledging their role in fostering religious hostility. The work illuminates the complex dynamics of Christian-Jewish relations in the late fourth century, when Christianity was newly ascendant but still defining itself against its Jewish roots.
Who should read this: Scholars studying the development of Christian-Jewish relations, patristic theology, or the history of religious polemic will find this essential primary source material. This work is not appropriate for devotional reading or general audiences seeking spiritual formation, given its hostile rhetoric and supersessionist theology.