John Cassian’s Salvation Doctrine in the Context of Semipelagian Polemics

The paper aims to identify the place of Saint John Cassian’s theological doctrines in the context of the so called “Semipelagian” polemics of the V century. Scientific originality of the study lies in the fact that John Cassian’s soteriology is considered as an autonomous doctrine established beyond the framework of religious polemics of his epoch. As it is known, in modern western theology, opinions differ on whether it would be relevant to associate John Cassian’s synergy doctrine with the name of the British monk Pelagius, a heretic condemned at the Councils. Some western theologians undoubtedly consider Saint Cassian a “Semipelagian”. The conducted research allows concluding that Saint Cassian’s soteriology can’t be considered “Semipelagian”, since it was formed regardless of Pelagius’s doctrine and differs in many substantial ways.