Cassianus, Joannes. De institutis coenobiorum. [Cassian, John. Institutes.]
Basel: Johann Amerbach, after 24 September 1485
Folio (298 x 218 mm.); complete
Black gothic letter, 47 lines plus headline, double column
Printed on paper; hand rubricated; one woodcut
Early marginalia and pen drawings

Early in the fifth century, John Cassian (ca. 360-435 C.E.) came from the East to Marseilles in Gaul. There he founded monasteries and wrote for his communities Insitutes (basic instruction) and Conferences (more lengthy discourses) that organized recollections of his own ascetic training with the monks of the Egyptian desert. These works, written in Latin, transmitted the wisdom of the Christian East to the West. Because of their psychological and spiritual acumen, their moderation and good sense, they came to profoundly influence western monasticism. Saint Benedict recommended them in his Rule for Monks. Arca Artium's fine incunabule printing of Cassian's work comes from the press of Johann Amerbach in Basel. The charming pen and ink drawings scattered throughout the book illustrate themes found in the text nearby. Notes in the margin indicate that one scholar who read this book put Cassian's thoughts into dialogue with teachings of Reformed theologians.