John Cassian, Rhetoric and Education

Reading the Conferences as Elaborated Chreias

Bibliographic Data

ID20249586
AuthorsBritt Dahlman (0000-0001-8624-8434, Lund University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue12
Pages1574
Publication date2025-12-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16121574
OpenAlexW4417316626
LanguageEN
References cited15

John Cassian’s writings reveal an extensive education. In his works, he reflects on his own education, such as a case of mnemotechnical distraction, and also provides education for his readers. But it is also clear that he employs his own rhetorical education by using conscious rhetorical strategies. This third aspect is the focus of this article. In Late Antique higher education, the chreia was one of the basic rhetorical progymnasmata exercises. It could be elaborated through the so-called ergasia exercise. By providing examples from the first conference, it is shown how Cassian employs elaborated chreias presenting his own patterns of ergasia elements. In connection with this, Cassian’s view on the origin of thoughts as drawn from Origen and Evagrius is discussed. Reading model texts, especially the Bible, is seen as a transformative practice that shapes the reader’s heart. Though Cassian rejects classical content, replacing it with spiritual writings, he retains classical form. As a collection of Christian chreic texts, the Conferences could have functioned as model texts for monks and monastic students wanting not only to read, but also to compose their own monastic texts according to the rhetorical structures taught in traditional schools of rhetoric. Cassian thus emerges as a new kind of monastic rhetorician

Antique · Rhetoric · Rhetorical question · Transformative learning · Augustinian Studies and Theology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought

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