On Repentance & Defeating Despair: Letters to Theodore by St. John Chrysostom

Volume 1 of The Early Church Today Series by St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey Press

About the Book

Do you ever feel God is an oppressive judge looking to punish you? Have you ever felt defeated because of your sins or because you feel you are so far away from where you know you should be with God? Whether you have just fallen into a particular sin you are ashamed of, or have a repeated beloved sin which you feel you are unable to extinguish, this book is for you. 

St. John Chrysostom wrote two letters to his friend Theodore, who along with St. John and his friend Basil, committed to a life of celibacy and spiritual living; however, Theodore was unable to keep his commitments and later fell into lustful passions and strayed quite afar off from godliness. These letters are St. John’s heartfelt words written in anguish to his lost friend pleading for his return. 

The purpose of this book is to help make St. John’s letters to Theodore accessible to modern audiences. Various editorial supplements and revisions have been implemented to help achieve that end, including using modern words in place of archaic language, and providing summary captions to make it easier to understand and follow along, all while intently focusing on preserving the original meaning of the author. This marks the first of several, God willing, books to be published as part of The Early Church Today Series, which aims to manifest the richness of the early Chuch and its relevance to today. 

The Early Church Today Series 

The early leaders of the Church, tasked with shepherding Christ’s flock, left us spiritual wealth that is too often neglected in modern times. The Early Church Today Series, published by the St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey Press, aims to help make that richness more accessible to readers, inviting them to see the applicability of the early Church to our walk with God today. By sharing practical selections from the writings of the early Church, aided by meaningful editorial supplements and revisions, each book will attempt to diminish impediments and bring to light what the Church has to offer.