QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON CLUBBING, BARS, DRINKING, AND THE APOSTOLIC CANONS

By Bp. Joseph and an Anonymous Spiritual Son (Ancient Church of the West)

Question: What do we think about clubbing? I remember you telling someone “No clubbing.” Someone is asking me to go. I’ve already said yes, but I can still cancel.

Answer: St. John Chrysostom’s statement, “Where dance is, there is the devil,” was speaking specifically about the more erotic forms of dancing that were commonly accompanied by drinking and debauchery in his day.

The ancient canons are also quite strict:

Apostolic Canon 42

"If a bishop, presbyter, or deacon gives himself to gambling, dancing, or drunkenness, let him either cease or be deposed."

Apostolic Canon 43

"If a subdeacon, reader, or singer does the same, let him either cease or be excommunicated. The same principle applies to laymen."

Apostolic Canon 54

"If any cleric is found eating in a public drinking house, except from necessity while traveling where there are no other options, let him be excommunicated."

The general principle is that Christians are called to hold themselves to strict standards of Christian behavior.

Question: I usually only go because friends ask me. I don’t really enjoy it. They’re just decent company.

Answer: The ancient canons forbid Christians from visiting slave markets, attending theatrical performances with nudity, attending the gladiatorial games, being in or around brothels, and bathing with members of the opposite sex. These regulations were aimed at avoiding occasions of lust, exploitation, and moral corruption. Christians were also commanded not to abuse servants, children, or anyone under their authority, in direct opposition to common Roman practice. Christianity radically transformed the moral expectations of the ancient world.

Question: It isn’t that hard to avoid slave markets today, though.

Answer: Exactly. Those prohibitions were aimed at pornography, voyeurism, and immoral entertainment in everyday life. Likewise, the prohibitions regarding brothels, drunkenness, and dancing were essentially intended to exclude Christians from the pagan nightlife of the Roman Empire, making Christians “set apart” (the literal meaning of “holy”) and a “peculiar people.” They restricted social activities and sexual expression to what Scripture regarded as wholesome and morally permissible.

Question: So the times I’ve gone to a club before - would that count as sin? Does the same principle apply to bars?

Answer: The issue is not merely the building itself but its purpose and what one is participating in. Public drunkenness and abuse of alcohol are clearly sinful according to Holy Scripture. The Christian principle is to avoid, as much as possible, activities that are sinful or that encourage others to sin. If we fall short, we confess our sins, receive God’s forgiveness, and continue striving for holiness.

Question: I wasn’t eating. I was just standing in the bar shouting to friends because you couldn’t hear anyone speak. I wasn’t drunk. Is simply being surrounded by drunk people wrong?

Answer: The guiding principle is to avoid activities that are themselves sinful or that become occasions of sin. There is a difference between unavoidable contact with sinners and voluntarily placing oneself in an environment whose primary purpose is intoxication or immorality.

Question: That makes sense. So I should probably just say no to the club?

Answer: Yes. The Church’s moral teaching is guided by principles rather than by just an arbitrary list of forbidden places or a midrash of legal findings by the various Saints and Fathers. The Fathers recognized that some activities are innocent in one context but become sinful in another because of their purpose or the temptations they ordinarily involve. Christians should avoid places and activities whose primary purpose is drunkenness, lust, or other forms of immorality.

At the same time, not every public gathering or social setting is innately sinful. We should ask ourselves - What is the purpose of this place? What am I participating in? Will this help me grow in holiness, or will it draw me toward temptation or give scandal to others? If the very purpose of an environment is contrary to the Christian life, the wisest course is simply not to go. By applying these principles with prayer, discernment, and the guidance of the Church Fathers, Christians can make sound decisions in a wide variety of situations.

Question: What about bars? Going to have one or two drinks and talk with friends? Is the purpose of a bar sinful?

Answer: Not necessarily. The prudent approach is…

• Order food.
• Do not drink excessively.
• Exercise moderation.
• Be aware of what is happening around you.
• Avoid participating in or encouraging sinful behavior.

One spiritual father summarized the principle simply: “One and done.” If you have a tendency toward drunkenness, do not give yourself the opportunity to fall into it. The key is balance and self-control.

Question: I’ve been drunk before. Never again. It’s just stupid to get drunk.

Answer: It is good not to abuse the body. We are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Question: I remember that. Thanks so much! Any final thoughts?

Answer: Scripture already gives us the governing principles. The Apostolic Canons illustrate how the early Church applied those biblical principles within their own cultural setting. They are not simply a list of isolated rules but practical applications of the Christian call to holiness.

If we fail, we confess our sins, receive God’s mercy, and continue walking faithfully. God will help us.