A city in need of laws
Saint John Chrysostom compares the soul of a child to a city that needs to be governed. A city is a place of many people, good and bad, wise and foolish. There are as many dispositions, impulses, and thoughts in the soul of a child as there are all kinds of people in a city. Without governing laws for a city, the unrighteous ones will overrun it and be victorious over the righteous ones.
“A city, then, is the soul of a child; a city, newly founded and newly built, a city receiving strangers as citizens who all have not experienced much thus far. Such citizens are not hard to rule over. Old people, accustomed to a sinful life, can barely be taught; though instruction is still possible for them, if they possess good will. Young, not yet corrupted people yield easily to your laws. Therefore give laws for this city and the citizens residing therein, serious, strict laws.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 45
The body as the city wall with five gates
The soul is enclosed by the body as the “city wall“ in the imagery Saint John Chrysostom employs. This wall around the city has five different gates, pathways of exchange with the world beyond the city: These are the five senses – eyes, mouth (tongue), ears, smell, and the sense of touch.
“(…) through these gates ruin or blessing enters into the life of the soul.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 45
Educating the five outer senses
“May one protect children like flowers that need the most of care as long as they are still young and tender.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 49
#1 educating the tongue: good words
“Habituate the child to only speak reverent and devout words.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 46
“One way of talking is like death: let it not be found in the heritage of Jacob since devout people have nothing to do with that; they will not wallow in sin. Do not get into the habit of using coarse and foul language since this involves sinful words.“
Ecclesiasticus (Jesus ben Sira) 23: 12-13; 28: 18
“Many have fallen by the edge of the sword but many more have fallen by the tongue.“
#2 educating the ears: biblical catechesis
“When one does not hear evil and vile things, one will also not speak them.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 49
“Silly myths the child shall not encounter. (…) tell them sacred stories.“
Children believe and keep whatever they hear. That is why their mind should not be impressed with “silly myths“. “Sacred stories“ are biblical stories: stories of truth. The holy bishop explains that these stories need to be told to children a bit “sweetened“, meaning embellished: lively, vibrant, colorful, and at times with comparisons that are tangible for a child.
Both father and mother should recount the biblical stories for the child repeatedly; then the child should be asked to narrate the story on its own from memory. A task the child will love to do. The child will also be happy at church once it encounters these holy tales there once again, delighted to already know them from its domestic world.
“When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had witnessed his majesty with our own eyes.“
2 Peter 1: 16
Once they are older, the children should also acquire the habit of reading Sacred Scripture, says Saint John Chrysostom:
“Do not say: May monks be dedicated to the reading of Scripture! My son does not need to become a monk. – True, he does not need to become a monk; but at least educate him to be a Christian! You do not have to fear Sacred Scripture which is filled with spiritual blessings. Especially the laity needs the knowledge of the holy teaching (…). There are all these school lessons of studying pagan books (…). Against these pagan myths Sacred Scripture is an effective antidote.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 115-116
#3 educating the sense of smell: no indulgence
Saint John Chrysostom warns against indulging in fragrances and sweetish ointments; the child should breathe pure air. He is primarily focused on the raising of boys – that they may become “athletes“ for Christ. Therefore he repeatedly warns that a lack of simple, tough, and challenging conditions in their upbringing may lead to effeminacy in them.
#4 educating the eyes: beholding innocent beauty
There is a lot to see in the streets of the cities. If the sight is not something good to behold, the child can be distracted from taking it in by pointing its attention toward something innocent and beautiful – the skies, flowers, or even the “ornamental paintings in books“. The eyes of the child should be guarded against everything that contradicts the precepts of modesty, purity, and chastity.
#5 educating the sense of touch: no pampering
Here again, Saint John Chrysostom puts his mind to the proper formation of boys and cautions against softish clothing that pampers and weakens them.
All in all, he has an ascetic education in mind for them. We could say: raising not a self-indulgent king Herod kind of man, who is a slave to both lust and the woman Herodias ruling it over him with her demands, but a John the Baptist kind of man, who has the toughness to suffer prison and martyrdom for the truth, goodness, and beauty of the law of his God.
“John himself wore a garment of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole region around the Jordan district kept going out to him, and they were baptised by him in the River Jordan as they confessed their sins.“
Matthew 3: 4-6; 11: 7-8
“What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? Then what did you go out to see? Someone wearing fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in royal palaces.“
Faculties of the human soul dwelling in the city, breeding virtues and vices: the heart as the abode of courage, the liver as the abode of desire, the head as the abode of reason
Having talked about the chastising of the five outer senses, about governing over the gates to the city, Saint John Chrysostom continues his instructions to parents on how to educate their children by distinguishing three forces or faculties of the soul: courage, desire, and reason. These are dwelling in the heart, the liver, and the head.
These three faculties of the human soul can bring forth both virtues and vices.
| abode in the body | faculties of the soul | virtues | vices |
| heart | courage | composure resilience | quick temper stubbornness |
| liver | desire | chastity | fornication |
| head | reason | wisdom | lack of judgment |
Educational goals and methods for the three faculties of the soul
#1 educating the faculty of courage
“(…) but we exult in our hardships, knowing that hardship develops perseverance, perseverance develops character, character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint, since the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.“
Romans 5: 3-5
We could maybe equate the faculty of courage residing in the heart with the motivational force of the will of the self.
He states that the child must learn patience early on, especially in situations when others disregard, slight, or mistreat it in a certain way. The control of anger must be acquired, and the child is to be made aware of its own frequent misbehaving towards others as well as of the sensitivities and feelings of other people.
To this end, the bishop of Constantinople recommends that the child receives a punishment every time it mistreats others verbally or physically out of a rage that is stemming from its attachment to its own personal will and from frustration about the obstacles that hinder it. It must learn to bear personal humiliations.
At the same time, there is a certain just anger and a beneficial force of courage – the one motivating to protect others who have been maltreated, who have fallen prey to injustice. The courage to protect others with the appropriate moderation must be fostered in a child while the necessary curtailing of inappropriate personal eruptions of vengeance also takes place.
In case something that belongs to the child gets broken or lost, Saint John Chrysostom’s advice is that one does not immediately replace the item to the agitated child but waits until it has already forgotten about it. As young children can be quite attached to their first quasi-autonomous personal possessions, such losses are yet another opportunity to let the child learn patience and the toleration of situations of frustration.
When educating the faculty of courage, the goal is “a temper free of rage“, the formation of a “humble attitude“ as well as learning to always treat others with consideration and respect.
“Be angry, but do not sin: do not let the sun set on your anger or else you will give the devil a place.”
Ephesians 4: 26; 31-32
“Any bitterness or bad temper or anger or shouting or abuse must be far removed from you – as must every kind of malice. Be generous to one another, sympathetic, forgiving each other just as God forgave you in Christ.”
#2 educating the faculty of desire
In relation to the faculty of desire, the virtue that ought to be developed is chastity. Saint John Chrysostom recommends to avoid exposing the child to all things contrary to purity and chastity, and to make it acquainted with good examples of a chaste lifestyle both from historical and biblical stories (saints of past ages) and among one‘s contemporaries. These examples can stir up the child‘s sense of honor.
His advice is to train them in the practices of fasting (twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays) and of praying at a young age. The child ought to learn to…
“(…) pray with zeal and fervor from the heart. Do not say, a child were not able to do this. (…) The young age is not an impediment for prayer.“
Saint John Chrysostom, my own free English translation from the German version: Johannes Chrysostomus und Dr. Sebastian Haidacher: Des Hl. Johannes Chrysostomus Büchlein über Hoffart und Kindererziehung, Leopold Classic Library, p. 67
Of course he also advocates for getting married while still young, i.e. before instead of after one’s occupational choices.
Thus helpful elements for cultivating chastity of desire according to the “golden-mouthed“ preacher are love of God, devotion, a certain formation in self-denial (fasting), and early spousal love.
“Keep away from sexual immorality. All sins that anyone commits are outside the body; but the sexually immoral person sins against the body itself. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you and whom you received from God? You are not your own property, then; you have been bought at a price. So glorify God in your body.“
1 Corinthians 5: 18-20
“Flee from the passions of youth, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, in union with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.“
2 Timothy 2: 22
#3 educating the faculty of reason
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools spurn wisdom and instruction.“
Proverbs 1: 7
In the paragraph on the faculty of reason, Saint John Chrysostom quotes the verse given above from the book of Proverbs.
The child should be taught to aspire toward goods that are eternal. The holy bishop states that the preference for riches, power, and privilege in this world is the root of all stupidity. The basic elements of wisdom are piety, godliness, and a realistic and truthful understanding of human nature.
“(…) but their reflections became futile and their uncomprehending minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became foolish (…).“
Romans 1: 21-22; 12: 2
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewal of mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – good, pleasing and perfect.“
Saint John Chrysostom, pray for us!