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New Humanists

Using Paganism to Christianize the Pagans | Episode LXXXVI

Apr 15, 2025
52:28

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In his lifetime, John Chrysostom witnessed the true beginning of Christendom: the Emperor Theodosius confirmed the public standing of Christianity over that of paganism and delivered a final knockout blow to Arian heresy in favor of Nicene orthodoxy. But a religion on the upswing can attract opportunistic and ill-informed converts. Jonathan and Ryan look at Chrysostom's advice on the bringing-up of children, and the ways in which the Greek Father uses pagan tropes - Greco-Roman hero cults, wrestling, statuary - to cajole new converts into dropping their pagan habits.


Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnO


Jaspreet Singh Boparai's The Man Who Translated the Bible Into Latin: https://antigonejournal.com/2021/10/saint-jerome/


New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/


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Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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