Baptism as Spiritual Marriage in the Teaching of John Chrystostom
Baptism as Spiritual Marriage in the Teaching of John Chrystostom

Summary/Abstract: John Chrysostom’s rich pastoral legacy also includes catechesis addressed to catechumens and newly baptized Christians. In the available catechetical instructions, we can see that he especially frequently refers to the vision of baptism as spiritual marriage. In such an understanding, Christ, the perfect Bridegroom, comes to marry the bride, the catechumen, and His initiative and unconditional love transform the sinful candidate with all his or her weaknesses; this is symbolized by the sparkling wedding gown mentioned by the catechist. This article presents the contexts in which John Chrysostom references this comparison and tries to respond to the question of why the author mentions the image of marriage in reference to the sacrament of baptism so frequently.

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