The formation of Christian-ethical norms in early Byzantine Empire in the works of St. John Chrysostom through images of living nature

The purpose of this study is to identify what analogies with living nature St. John Chrysostom used in his works and how he used them to explain and popularize Christian ethical norms. The object of the study is the creative legacy of the saint and, in particular, apologetic dialogues, in which this tendency was most clearly manifested. The subject of the study was the typology and number of images used. The relevance of the study is determined by the importance of turning to the patristic heritage as the basis for popularizing Christian ethical norms in modern society.

In the course of the work, apologetic dialogues, methods used by the saint, as well as specific examples of their application in various speeches were considered. The study was conducted using such philological methods as content analysis, critical text analysis and comparative analysis.

The article shows how St. John Chrysostom, through metaphors, comparisons, allegories, demonstrates the possibility of following Christian principles in everyday life. The oratorical talent of the saint was manifested in the fact that he made his speeches not only informative, but also inspiring and

emotional, which made them especially valuable for Christian theology. Using images of flora and fauna, he influenced the thinking of his contemporaries and subsequent generations, strengthening Christian norms in their minds.

The author comes to the conclusion that the images used by Saint John Chrysostom in dialogues helped the saint’s contemporaries to better understand the complex theological and doctrinal provisions of Christianity and to form a positive image of the religion that was new to them.

Saint John Chrysostom, apologetic dialogues, rhetorical methods, images of flora and fauna, popularization of Christian ethical norms