Cassian the Monk (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)

Rating:
Summary: A noteworthy contribution to contemporary scholarship
Review: Stewart's study of the spiritual and theological writings of St John Cassian attempts to provide for students and monastics alike a framework for appreciating Cassian's significance -- and it succeeds brilliantly in doing so. Stewart's presentation is noteworthy, inter alia, for his revision of traditional categories too often (mis)applied to Cassian's theology. Thus, his consideration of the "Semi-Pelagian" Conference XIII takes up the dissatisfaction expressed by R A Markus in his End of Ancient Christianity, who called for a reading of Cassian's theology of grace in situ, rather than through the prism of Prosper's hardline Augustinian critique. Stewart does so with the great clarity and succinctness characteristic of the work as a whole. His style is highly approachable, even fluid, and his notes (which run to a length roughly equal to that of the text itself) are remarkably thorough. This study will be highly valued by scholars and enthusiasts alike.