The last significant English work on Chrysostom's life was Saint John Chrysostom: His Life and Times by W. R. W. Stephen, first published in 1880. For the past thirty-five years, scholars interested in the study of Chrysostom have had to rely on the two-volume work by C. Baur, published in German in 192930 and translated into English in 1959. Kelly's Golden Mouth is the first scholarly work to appear on the academic scene in the last forty years.

In this erudite study, Kelly covers the complete story of John Chrysostom's life. He describes Chrysostom's life in Antioch as a young boy, his days as a monk outside the city, his years as a preacher, his unexpected promotion to the episcopate in the imperial capital of Constantinople, his conflict with the royal household and fellow bishops, his exile to the harsh region of Armenia, and his death. Golden Mouth is a great resource for pastors, scholars, and students interested in the Patristic period and is an excellent companion to The Apostolic Fathers.