Anthropological positions of Pelagius and John Cassian

Authors

  • Artur R. Antonyan Don Theological Seminary, 196, ul. Vsesoyuznaya, Rostov-on-Don, 344033, Russian Federation; Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies, 4/2, ul. Pyatnitskaya, Moscow, 115035, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu28.2022.304

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of the anthropological constructions Marseille abbot John Cassian and the British monk Pelagius. The study focuses on the need for a thorough revision doctrinal assessments established in Western theological science, according to which John Cassian is a representative of the so-called “semi-Pelagian” theology. The author believes that the wrong view of the Cassian’s theology formed as a result of considering his doctrines in the context of the Pelagian dispute. Cassian’s theology is not related to the Pelagian discussion of free will and predestination. His anthropology was formed in the context of the Eastern Christian ascetic tradition. Eastern Christian theology paid great attention to questions about the role of divine grace and human action in the matter of salvation. Cassian, being the heir to the Eastern Christian monastic tradition, emphasized personal asceticism. This led many theologians to draw the wrong conclusion that the Marseille abbot was a follower of Pelagius. The article shows that the views of Cassian are far from the theology of Pelagius and are closer to Augustine in many respects.

Keywords:

salvation, predestination, original sin, will, grace, pelagianism, synergism

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References


References

Augustinus (2005) Treatises on various issues: theology, exegetics, ethics. Rus. ed. Moscow, Imperium Press Publ. (In Russian)

Brockway J. W. (2015) The ritual dimension of John Cassian’s Asceticism. PhD diss. Washington, D. C., The Catholic University of America.

Casiday A. M. C. (2007) Tradition and theology in St John Cassian. Oxford; New York, Oxford University Press.

Joannis Cassiani (1846) “Collationes”, in Patrologia Latina, vol. 49. Ed. by J.-P. Migne, pp. 477–1328. Paris, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.

Pelagius (1845) “Epistola ad Demetriadem”, in Patrologia Latina, vol. 33. Ed. by J.-P. Migne, pp. 1099–1120. Paris, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.

Prosperus Aquitanus (1865) “Epistola Inter Augustianas CCXXV”, in Patrologia Latina, vol. 44. Ed. by J.-P. Migne, pp. 949–953. Paris, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.

Weaver R. H. (2006) Divine Grace and Human Agency: A study of the Semi-Pelagian controversy. Rus. ed. Moscow, Tsentr bibleisko-patrologicheskikh issledovanii Publ., Imperium Press Publ. (In Russian)

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Published

2022-09-22

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 3 (2022)

Section

History of Christian Thought

License

Articles of "Issues of Theology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.