Simply put, sinners by nature or sinners by choice are the traditional
positions of Western and (Near) Eastern branches of the Church. John
Chrysostom, an early fifth century Bishop of Constantinople, took the latter
position. Having gained a basic anthropology from his training in the Greek
paideia, he understood the mindset (γνώμη) to be the centre of
responsibility of the person. Repeatedly in his homilies, the γνώμη is held
responsible for sin in action, thought, and intention. The mindset evaluates
passions and thoughts, and then directs the προαίρεσις (the moral choice)
towards the end decided by the γνώμη. The γνώμη, a store of deliberated
attitudes, is the very lodging-place of sin in the psyche. Chrysostom,
holding our basic nature to be unchangeable, found in the γνώμη, a faculty
of the soul distinct from nature, a citadel of sin needing to be overcome by
the power of the Gospel. Then the person with a renewed mindset sets about
shaping it to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Ray Laird has been lecturing in Church History and Theology for over thirty
years in Bible/theological colleges in Australia, and has served as Principal
of two colleges and Dean of the South Australian Graduate School of
Theology. He has worked closely with the Australian College of Theology,
serving on their Academic boards, committees, as Head of the Department
of Christian Thought, examiner, moderator, and interim Dean. He holds a
B.A. (hons.) First class, with university Medal, from Uni. Qld., a B.D. from
MCD, a research M.A. from Newcastle (NSW), and a Th.D. from the
Australian College of Theology. He was awarded the Medal of Order of
Australia Award (OAM) "For service to the study of theology" in 2011.
