The article is devoted to the analysis of "De vita contemplativa" ("The contemplative life") — the work of Julianus Pomerius, a Christian writer of the second half of the fifth century. The work reveals the main provisions of the concept of Pomerius about the "contemplative life" — a posthumous angel-like state of true closeness to God, which the righteous can achieve. The study emphasizes the importance of the pastoral activity of bishops in the description of Pomerius: he sees the way to a contemplative life not in seclusion and solitude, but in active preaching and helping the poor. It is noted that Pomerius stands for the refusal of the clergy from their property in favor of the Church, while the bishops themselves should act in relation to church property not as owners, but as administrators and managers. In this regard, the relationship of the eschatological aspect of his concept with the material situation of the Church is shown: it is the financial capabilities that allow the Church to provide its ministers with the necessary conditions for living and fulfilling their duties — and, consequently, for them to achieve the ideal of a contemplative life.