Anthropological positions of Pelagius and John Cassian

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.