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

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 atraditional 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.

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