Published: 2025-11-14

The family as a little church: the anthropology and spirituality of marriage in the teaching of st. John Chrysostom

Wojciech Słomski Profil ORCID autora Wojciech Słomski
Family Studies
Section: Artykuły
DOI https://doi.org/10.21697/snr.2025.65-66.1-2.8

Abstract

The article examines the anthropology and spirituality ofmarriage in the teaching of St. John Chrysostom,
presenting the family as a “little Church” (mikra ekklēsia) – a community of life and love rooted in the Holy Trinity.
Based on a hermeneutical analysis of patristic sources and the theology of communion, it explores the sacramental
dimension of marriage as the pracowan of the unity between Christ and the Church. The study highlights
Chrysostom’s relational anthropology expressed through the key concepts of agape, synergeia, and theosis, which
define the spiritual transformation of human love. It argues that for Chrysostom, marriage is a path of holiness
and divinization in which everyday life becomes a liturgy. The article demonstrates the relevance of his thought to
contemporary theology of the family, particularly in the context of Vatican II, John Paul II, and Pope Francis.

Keywords:

John Chrysostom, family, marriage, domestic Church, theology of communion, agape, theosis, synergeia

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Słomski, W. (2025). The family as a little church: the anthropology and spirituality of marriage in the teaching of st. John Chrysostom. Family Studies, 29(1-2(65-66), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.21697/snr.2025.65-66.1-2.8

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