Against Dancing Among the Common People
March 24
(A Homily of Saint John Chrysostom on Games and Dancing)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
March 24
(A Homily of Saint John Chrysostom on Games and Dancing)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Among you, Orthodox Christians, there exists a very bad custom, especially on Sundays and feast days, of gathering in your village streets and beginning dances there. This custom both angers God and brings about destructive consequences.
In order to abandon it, listen to what Saint Chrysostom says about it.
“Dancing,” says the universal teacher, “is not a human but a demonic activity. Demons teach it to us so that they may not be the only ones tormented in hell. And of all amusements it is the worst, for it draws a person away from God and leads him down to the depths of hell. And a woman who dances is called the bride of Satan, the adulteress of the devil, and the consort of demons; and she who dances will not only herself be brought down to the depths of hell, but also all who danced with her. She does not preserve her honor, and through her the devil tempts many, both in sleep and in wakefulness. All who love dancing will be condemned to the unquenchable fire. And it is vile and shameful for a man to live with such a woman.
Listen to what happened: people sat down to eat and drink, became full and drunk, and began to dance — and then to commit sin. After that they turned to idols and began to offer sacrifices to them. Then the earth opened and swallowed twenty-three thousand of them. Thus the Lord showed an image of punishment to all who sin and do not do the will of God. Therefore, brothers and sisters, beware and do not love unlawful, demonic amusements. Especially avoid dancing, lest you be condemned to eternal torment.”*
Thus, brethren, the dancing so beloved by you is a terrible evil. As you see, it is a demonic work, and demons teach it to us so that they may not be tormented alone in hell. And indeed, how much that is demonic is found in this vile dancing: lustful glances, sensual movements, and obscene words. And often even small children are present at such things. What will they learn? How much evil will they take forever into their childlike, until-then innocent hearts! How they will defile themselves in their youth!
O you who dance and cause scandal! At least fear the Dread Judgment of God! “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble,” says the Lord, “it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6).
Therefore fear the Dread Judgment of God, and do not become friends of the devil; for he has been a murderer from the beginning. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Notes:
* (From the translator) This quote is not a verbatim quote from Chrysostom's authentic Greek homilies. Instead, it is a later paraphrase or adaptation found in medieval Slavic and Russian religious texts. Specifically it comes from popular medieval Russian compendia known as the Izmaragd (The Emerald) and the Prologue, which these homilies of Archpriest Victor Guryev are based on. It is very common in these texts to misquote the Holy Fathers with their own abbreviations and interpretations in a more maximalist way.
Saint John Chrysostom’s condemnation of dancing was not directed at the physical act itself but at its social and spiritual consequences within the context of 4th-century Roman society, where dancing was often associated with pagan feasts, drunkenness and sensuality. Interestingly, while he condemned worldly dance, he used the metaphor of a dance to describe the joy of monks fighting the devil, suggesting that he valued "orderly" and "holy" expressions of joy over the "sensual" dancing of his time.
The Izmaragd (The Emerald), which is the source of the information for today's sermon, was a popular medieval Russian moral-didactic compendium, used as a tool for internal Christian reform and social regulation. It was used by the clergy to suppress "pagan survivals" — folk customs, superstitions, and "lawless games" (like dancing and drinking) that persisted among the nominally Christian population. It was designed to instill ascetic values and Christian morality in the laity. It addressed everyday issues like family life, drunkenness, and the proper behavior of women. Similar to later texts like the Domostroy, it functioned as a "handbook" for how to build a religious life, often using dramatic descriptions of hellfire and demonic influence to discourage secular distractions. To give these warnings weight, the anonymous authors of the Izmaragd frequently borrowed from or paraphrased early Church Fathers like John Chrysostom. They adapted his fierce anti-theatrical and anti-dance rhetoric to the Russian context, leading to the highly stylized and extreme language (such as calling a dancer the "bride of Satan").
