Against the label of semi-pelagianism

John Cassian and the continuity of the patristic tradition

Abstract

This article proposes a critical review of the way John Cassian has historically been classified as a "Semi-Pelagian." The research is based on the premise that this designation does not adequately describe his theological propositions and ultimately oversimplifies far more complex debates within the ancient Christian tradition. Employing a historical-theological and bibliographical approach, the study analyzes Cassian's principal works, especially the Conferences and the Institutes, in dialogue with Patristic authors and contemporary scholars of Patristics and the history of doctrine. The investigation demonstrates that the term "Semi-Pelagianism" emerged only centuries after the fifth-century controversies and was subsequently applied retroactively to the Gallic monks. Furthermore, the article argues that this category creates a false impression of unity among quite distinct authors, such as John Cassian, Faustus of Riez, and Vincent of Lérins. It also highlights that Cassian's theology is deeply rooted in the Eastern monastic tradition and in the synergistic understanding found throughout much of Greek Patristic thought, distancing itself both from Pelagianism and from certain more rigorous formulations of later Augustinianism. The study further suggests that some of the Gallic reactions reflected legitimate tensions regarding specific developments in Augustine's theology concerning grace, predestination, and inherited corruption. It concludes that understanding John Cassian solely through the label of "Semi-Pelagian" obscures the internal diversity of the Patristic tradition and hinders a more historically accurate interpretation of his work. In this context, John Cassian appears less as a doctrinal innovator and more as the heir and transmitter of an ancient Eastern spiritual tradition.