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

Simply put, sinners by nature or sinners by choice are the traditional positions of Western and (Near) Eastern branches of the Church. John Chrysostom, an early fifth century Bishop of Constantinople, took the latter position. Having gained a basic anthropology from his training in the Greek paideia, he understood the mindset (??¿µ?) to be the centre of responsibility of the person. Repeatedly in his homilies, the ??¿µ? is held responsible for sin in action, thought, and intention. The mindset evaluates passions and thoughts, and then directs the p??a¿?es?? (the moral choice) towards the end decided by the ??¿µ?. The ??¿µ?, a store of deliberated attitudes, is the very lodging-place of sin in the psyche. Chrysostom, holding our basic nature to be unchangeable, found in the ??¿µ?, a faculty of the soul distinct from nature, a citadel of sin needing to be overcome by the power of the Gospel. Then the person with a renewed mindset sets about shaping it to be conformed to the image of Christ. Ray Laird has been lecturing in Church History and Theology for over thirty years in Bible/theological colleges in Australia, and has served as Principal of two colleges and Dean of the South Australian Graduate School of Theology. He has worked closely with the Australian College of Theology, serving on their Academic boards, committees, as Head of the Department of Christian Thought, examiner, moderator, and interim Dean. He holds a B.A. (hons.) First class, with university Medal, from Uni. Qld., a B.D. from MCD, a research M.A. from Newcastle (NSW), and a Th.D. from the Australian College of Theology. He was awarded the Medal of Order of Australia Award (OAM) "For service to the study of theology" in 2011.