Contextualizing Cassian: Aristocrats, Asceticism, and Reformation in Fifth-Century Gaul

by Richard J. Goodrich

Overview

Richard J. Goodrich examines the attempt by the fifth-century ascetic writer John Cassian to influence and shape the development of Western monasticism. Goodrich's close analysis of Cassian's earliest work (The Institutes) focuses on his interaction with the values and preconceptions of a traditional Roman elite, as well as his engagement with contemporary writers. By placing The Institutes in context, Goodrich demonstrates just how revolutionary this foundational work was for its time and milieu.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199213139
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2008
Series:	Oxford Early Christian Studies
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Richard J. Goodrich is a Research Fellow in the Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Bristol.

Table of Contents

Introduction1. The World of Gallic Asceticism2. Experientia vs. Gallic Inexperience3. Experientia vs. Other Builders4. Instituta as Independent Authority5. Renuntiatio and the ‘Rhetoric of Renunciation'Conclusion