John Chrysostom’s Rhythms of Prayer
Listen in to an engaging conversation between Kimberly Belcher ‘03 MA, ‘09 Ph.D., associate professor of theology, J. J. Wright ‘14 MSM, ‘17 DMA, Grammy® Award winner and Director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and Dr. Blake Leyerle, a professor of Early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame, about the social and cultural history of early Christianity. Dr. Leyerle shares her unique approach, focusing not on the renowned figures of the time but on the everyday lives of ordinary people.
Experience the Episode
Presented by Department of Theology
Draw on centuries-old tradition of singing Psalms and Canticles in the Liturgy of the Hours to discover a conceptual framework for bringing your own experiences, ideas, and musical background into creative conversation with liturgy and prayer. Experience Rhythms of Faith—no musical experience required!
Listen in to an engaging conversation between Kimberly Belcher ‘03 MA, ‘09 Ph.D., associate professor of theology, J. J. Wright ‘14 MSM, ‘17 DMA, Grammy® Award winner and Director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and Dr. Blake Leyerle, a professor of Early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame, about the social and cultural history of early Christianity. Dr. Leyerle shares her unique approach, focusing not on the renowned figures of the time but on the everyday lives of ordinary people. The conversation covers everything from Dr. Leyerle’s detective-like historical research process, the creative interpretation of scant ancient data, to the importance of emotion in ethical formation as seen through the sermons and personality of John Chrysostom, an influential early church figure. She also touches on the role of music, the intersections of home and liturgical spaces, and the parallels between ancient and modern-day Christian practices. Finally, Dr. Leyerle reflects on the misconceptions about early Christianity and discusses her recent work, ‘Christians at Home’, which explores the integration of religious practices into domestic spaces.
Meet the Faculty: Blake Leyerle
Blake Leyerle is a professor in the department of theology at the University of Notre Dame. Her scholarly specialization lies in the social and cultural history of early Christianity. She has published on a wide range of topics, such as almsgiving, children, table manners, domestic devotions, travel and communication, pilgrimage, the theater, asceticism, urban life, amulets, sewers, animals, and the emotions. But her particular interest in John Chrysostom is evident in her two most recent monographs: Christians at Home: John Chrysostom and Domestic Rituals in Fourth Century Antioch (Penn State University Press, June, 2024), and The Narrative Shape of Emotion in the Preaching of John Chrysostom (the University of California Press, 2020. Her current book project focuses on early Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. All of her work is marked by a commitment to incorporating material reality as well as the insights of critical theory. She is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the North American Patristics Society, and has served in multiple capacities on their steering and planning committees. Since 1990, she has taught at all levels at Notre Dame and been recognized for her excellence in teaching. A founding member of the interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Early Christian Studies at Notre Dame, she was its longest-serving director.