Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033 – 21 April 1109, also called of Aosta Aosta listen (Italian) or Aoste (French) (Arpitan: Aoûta) is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, 110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard for his birthplace, and of Bec Le Bec-Hellouin is a commune in the department of Eure in the region of Haute-Normandie in northern France for his home monastery) was a Benedictine monk Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict around 529, a philosopher Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. The word "philosophy" comes from the, and a prelate A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over others of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group of Christians in the world from 1093 to 1109. Called the founder of scholasticism Scholasticism was a method of learning taught by the academics of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. Scholasticism was part of the attempt that medieval Christians made to reconcile ancient classical philosophy with Christianity. The synthesis of Greek Philosophy and medieval Christian Doctrine is the heart of scholasticism. (See also, he is famous as the originator of the ontological argument An ontological argument for the existence of God attempts the method of a priori proof, which uses intuition and reason alone. In the context of the Abrahamic religions, ontological arguments were first proposed by the Medieval philosophers Avicenna and Anselm of Canterbury (in his Proslogion). Important variations were developed by later for the existence of God Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others. In philosophical terminology, "existence-of-God" arguments concern schools of thought on the epistemology of the ontology of God.

Born into the noble family of Candia The House of Candia also called "Candida" in Latin is a European dynastic house, originally from "Castrum Candiaco" in the Dauphiné of the nobility of Savoy and Piemont, descendants of Burgundians and Lombards and related to the Norman dynasty from the seat at the Baronnie de Candé and latter through their union to the, he entered the Benedictine order at the Abbey of Bec Bec Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin, Normandy, France, is a Benedictine monastic foundation in the Eure département, in a valley midway between the cities of Rouen and Le Havre at the age of twenty-seven, where he became abbot in 1079. He became Archbishop of Canterbury under William II of England, and was exiled from England from 1097 to 1100, and again from 1105 to 1107 under Henry I of England Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the administrative and as a result of the lay investiture dispute.

Anselm was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church Doctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine in 1720 by Pope Clement XI.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Anselm was born under the name "Anselmus Candiae Genavae" (Italian: Anselmo de Candia Ginevra, French: Anselm de Candie Genève) at[1] or near[2] Aosta Aosta listen (Italian) or Aoste (French) (Arpitan: Aoûta) is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, 110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard in the Kingdom of Burgundy Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe which has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 500s, the second around the 1000s - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very nearly created (currently the capital of the Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley (Italian: Valle d'Aosta or Val d'Aosta (usual), French: Vallée d'Aoste (official) or Val d'Aoste (usual), Arpitan: Val d'Outa) is a mountainous autonomous region in north-western Italy. It is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piedmont to the south and east region in Northern Italy) around 1033.[1] His family was noble (they were related by blood to the ascendant House of Savoy The House of Savoy was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy until the end of World War II. Some argue, at the time that the title of king was abolished in 1946, the House of Savoy was the longest[3]) and owned considerable property. His parents were from a noble lineage and holders of fiefdoms within the Burgundian territories. His father, Gundulf de Candia, was by birth a Lombard The Lombards were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe who settled in the valley of the Danube and from there invaded Byzantine Italy in 568 under the leadership of Alboin. They established a Lombard Kingdom, later named Kingdom of Italy, which lasted until 774, when it was conquered by the Franks. Their influence on Italian political of the House of Candia The House of Candia also called "Candida" in Latin is a European dynastic house, originally from "Castrum Candiaco" in the Dauphiné of the nobility of Savoy and Piemont, descendants of Burgundians and Lombards and related to the Norman dynasty from the seat at the Baronnie de Candé and latter through their union to the; he seems to have been harsh and violent. His mother, Ermenberga of Geneva was regarded as prudent and virtuous; she was related to Otto, Count of Savoy.

At the age of fifteen, Anselm desired to enter a monastery but could not obtain his father's consent, and so the abbot refused him.[1] Disappointment brought on apparent psychosomatic illness Psychosomatic medicine is an interdisciplinary medical field studying the relationships of social, psychological, and behavioral factors on bodily processes and well-being in humans and other animals. The influence that the mind has over physical processes including the manifestations of physical disabilities that are based on intellectual. After recovery, he gave up his studies and lived a carefree life. During this period, his mother died and his father's harshness became unbearable.

When he was twenty-three, Anselm left home, crossed the Alps and wandered through Burgundy Burgundy is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland and France.[2] Attracted by the fame of his countryman Lanfranc (then prior A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St. Benedict the term prior occurs several times, but does not signify any particular superior; it is indiscriminately applied to any superior, be he Abbot, Provost, Dean, etc. In other old monastic rules the term is used in the same generic sense of the Benedictine Abbey of Bec Bec Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin, Normandy, France, is a Benedictine monastic foundation in the Eure département, in a valley midway between the cities of Rouen and Le Havre), Anselm arrived in Normandy Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the English Channel coast of Northern France between Brittany (to the west) and Picardy (to the east) and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands. The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part in 1059. The following year, after some time at Avranches Avranches is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called Avranchinais, he entered the abbey as a novice In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and studying in preparation for full ordination. The name for this level of ordination varies from one tradition to another. In Pali, the word is samanera, which means 'small monk' or 'boy at the age of twenty-seven; in doing so he submitted himself to the Rule of Saint Benedict The Rule of Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written by St. Benedict of Nursia for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Since about the 7th century it has also been adopted by communities of women. During the 1500 years of its existence, it has become the leading guide in Western Christianity for monastic living in, which was to reshape his thought over the next decade.[4]

Years at Bec and accession to Canterbury

In 1063, Lanfranc was made abbot of Caen Caen is a commune in north-western France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) inland from the English Channel and Anselm was elected prior of the abbey of Bec.[5] Anselm held this office for fifteen years before he became abbot at the death of Herluin, the abbey's founder, in 1078. He was consecrated abbot 22 February 1079 by the bishop of Évreux.[6] This consecration was rushed, because at the time the archdiocese of Rouen (wherein Bec lay) was sede vacante Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church. It is Latin for "the seat being vacant" , that is, the cathedra of the particular church. And had Anselm been consecrated by the archbishop of Rouen, he would have been under pressure to profess obedience to him, which would compromise Bec's independence.

Under Anselm's jurisdiction, Bec became the foremost seat of learning in Europe, attracting students from Italy and elsewhere,[7] even though study and scholarly research were of secondary importance in the monasticism of the time.[8] It was during his time at Bec that he wrote his first works of philosophy, the Monologion (1076) and the Proslogion The Proslogion, , written in 1077-1078, was an attempt by the medieval cleric Anselm to outline the attributes of God and understand how God can have all of his qualities which often seem contradictory (1077–8). These were followed by The Dialogues on Truth, Free Will and Fall of the Devil. During his time at Bec, Anselm worked to maintain its freedom from lay and archiepiscopal control.[9] Later in his abbacy Anselm worked to ensure Bec's independence from Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and from the archbishop of Rouen.

The Tower of Saint Nicholas at the site of Bec Abbey

Anselm occasionally visited England to see the abbey's property there, as well as to visit Lanfranc—who, in 1070, had been installed as Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group of Christians in the world--until the latter's death in 1089.[10] He made a good impression while there, and was the natural successor to Lanfranc as Archbishop.

Upon Lanfranc's death, however, William II of England seized the possessions and revenues of the see, and made no new appointment. In 1092, at the invitation of Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester, Anselm crossed to England. He was detained there by business for nearly four months and then refused permission to return to Bec by the king, who suddenly fell ill the following year, and who nominated Anselm to the vacant see, on 6 March 1093.[11] That month Anselm wrote the monks of Bec, telling them to accept his nomination to the see. Over the course of the following months, Anselm tried to refuse, on the grounds of age and ill-health,[1] and being unfit as a monk for secular affairs.[10] On 24 August, Anselm gave William the conditions under which he would accept the see, which amounted to an agenda of the Gregorian Reform The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. These reforms are considered to be named after Pope Gregory VII , however he personally denied this and claimed his reforms, like his regnal: that William return the see's land which he had seized; that William accept the pre-eminence of Anselm's spiritual counsel; and that William acknowledge Pope Urban II Pope Blessed Urban II , born Otho de Lagery (alternatively: Otto, Odo or Eudes), was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death. He is most known for starting the First Crusade (1095–99) and setting up the modern day Roman Curia, in the manner of a royal court, to help run the Church as pope (in opposition to Antipope Clement III).[12] Anselm's professions of refusal aided his bargaining position as he discussed terms with William. William was exceedingly reluctant to accept these conditions; he would only grant the first.[13] A few days after this, William tried to rescind even this; he suspended the preparations for Anselm's investiture. Under public pressure William was forced to carry out the appointment. In the end Anselm and William settled on the return of Canterbury's lands as the only concession from William.[14] Finally, the English bishops thrust the crosier into his hands and took him to the church to be inducted.[15] He did homage to William, and on 25 September 1093 he received the lands of the see,[13] and was enthroned,[16] after obtaining dispensation from his duties in Normandy. He was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury on 4 December.[13]

It has been argued whether or not Anselm's reluctance to take the see was sincere. Scholars such as Southern maintain that his preference would have been to stay at Bec.[17] However, reluctance to accept important ecclesiastical positions was a Medieval trope. Vaughn states that Anselm could not have expressed a desire for the position, because he would be regarded as an ambitious careerist. She further states that Anselm recognized William's political situation and goals, and acted at the moment that would gain him the most leverage in the interests of his expected see, and of the reform movement.

Archbishop of Canterbury under William

One of Anselm's first conflicts with William came the very month he was consecrated. William was preparing to fight his elder brother, Robert II, Duke of Normandy Robert Curthose , sometimes numbered Robert II or Robert III, was the Duke of Normandy from 1087 until 1106 and an unsuccessful claimant to the throne of the Kingdom of England. His nickname, Curthose, comes from the Norman French Courtheuse, meaning short stockings (or in English - curt [short] & hose [stockings] ), as it is sometimes, and needed funds for doing so.[18] Anselm was among those expected to pay him, and he offered ₤500; rather less than he was expected to pay. William refused the offer, insisting on a greater sum. Later on, a group of bishops suggested that William might now settle for the original sum, but Anselm told them he had already given the money to the poor. In this episode Anselm was careful, and managed to both avoid charges of simony Simony is the crime of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus, who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:18-24. Simon Magus offers the disciples of Jesus, Peter and John payment so that anyone on whom he would place his hands would receive the power of the Holy, and appear generous.

Anselm continued to agitate William for reform and the interests of Canterbury.[19] His vision of the Church was one of a universal Church with its own internal authority, which countered with William's vision of royal control over both Church and state.[20] Consequently, He has been viewed alternatively as a contemplative monastic or as a man politically engaged, committed to maintaining the privileges of the episcopal see An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral. The seat is also called the bishop's throne, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church of Canterbury.[21]

The Church's rule stated that metropolitans could not be consecrated without receiving the pallium The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously connected to the papacy from the hands of the pope. Anselm, accordingly, insisted that he must proceed to Rome to receive the pallium, but William would not permit it; he had not acknowledged Urban as pope and maintained his right to prevent a pope's acknowledgment by an English subject.

On 25 February 1095, the bishops and nobles of England held a council at Rockingham to discuss the issue. The bishops sided with the king, with the bishop of Durham even advising William to depose Anselm. The nobles chose Anselm's position, and the conference ended in deadlock.

Immediately following this William sent secret messengers to Rome.[22] They prevailed on Urban to send a legate (Walter of Albano) to the king bearing the archiepiscopal pallium.[23] Walter and William then negotiated in secret. William agreed to acknowledge Urban as pope, and secured the right to give permission before clerics could receive and obey papal letters; Walter, negotiating for Urban, conceded that Urban would send no legates without William's invitation. William's greatest desire was that Anselm be deposed and another given the pallium. Walter said that "there was good reason to expect a successful issue in accordance with the king’s wishes”. William then openly acknowledged Urban as pope, but Walter refused to depose Anselm. William then tried to extract money from Anselm for the pallium, and was refused. William also tried to personally hand over the pallium to Anselm, and was refused again. He compromised, and Anselm took the pallium from the altar at Canterbury on 10 June 1095.

Over nearly the next two years, no overt dispute between Anselm and William is known. However, William blocked Anselm's efforts at church reform. The issues came to a head in 1097, after William put down a Welsh rebellion.[24] He charged Anselm with having given him insufficient knights for the campaign and tried to fine him. Anselm resolved to proceed to Rome and seek the counsel of the pope because William had refused to fulfill his promise of Church reform,[20] but William denied him permission.[25] The negotiations ended with William declaring that if Anselm left, he would take back the see, and never again receive Anselm as archbishop. If Anselm were to stay, William would fine him and force him to swear never again to appeal to Rome: "Anselm was given the choice of exile or total submission."[25]

First exile

As an exile, in October 1097 Anselm set out for Rome. William immediately seized the revenues of the see and retained them until his death, though Anselm retained the archbishopric.[26] Anselm went into exile to defend his vision of the universal Church, displaying William's sins against that vision.[20] Though he had done homage to William, Anselm qualified that homage by his higher duty towards God and the papacy. Anselm was received with high honour by Urban at the Siege of Capua, where he garnered high praise from the Saracen Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to people who inhabited the deserts near the Roman province of Syria and who were distinct from Arabs. The term was later applied to Arab peoples and by the time of European chroniclers during the time of the Crusades came to be synonymous with Muslim troops of Roger I of Sicily Roger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy. The pope, however, did not wish to become deeply involved in Anselm's dispute with the king.

At a large provincial council held at Bari in 1098, which 183 bishops attended, Anselm was asked to defend, against representatives of the Greek Church, the Filioque Filioque, Latin for "and the Son", was added in Western Christianity to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly referred to as the Nicene Creed. This creed, foundational to Christian belief since the 4th century, defines the three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. In its original Greek and the practice of using unleavened bread for the Eucharist.

In 1099 Urban renewed the ban on lay investiture and on clerics doing homage.[20] That year Anselm moved to Lyon.

Conflicts with King Henry I

William was killed on 2 August 1100. His successor, Henry I of England Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the administrative and, invited Anselm to return, writing that he committed himself to be counseled by Anselm.[27] Henry was courting Anselm because he needed his support for the security of his claim to the throne; Anselm could have thrown his support behind Henry's elder brother instead.

When Anselm returned, Henry requested that Anselm do him homage for the Canterbury estates[28] and receive from him investiture Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent (heir, elect of nominee) in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia. The term is normally reserved for formal offices of state, aristocracy and church in his office of archbishop.[29] The papacy had recently banned clerics doing homage to laymen,[28] as well as banning lay investiture; thus started Anselm's conflicts with Henry.

Henry refused to relinquish the privilege possessed by his predecessors, and proposed that the matter be laid before the pope. Two embassies were sent to Pope Paschal II Paschal II, born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Cluniac order, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus S. Clementi by Pope Gregory VII (1073–85) about 1076, and was consecrated pope in succession to Pope Urban II (1088–99) on August 19, 1099 regarding the legitimacy of Henry's investiture, but Paschal reaffirmed the papal rule on both occasions. In the meantime, Anselm did work with Henry. Henry was threatened with invasion by his brother, and Anselm publicly supported Henry, wooing the wavering barons and threatening Curthose with excommunication.[30] For his part, Henry granted Anselm authority over all the Church in England, and agreed to obey the papacy.

Because Paschal had reaffirmed the papal rules on lay investiture and homage, Henry turned against Anselm.[30] In 1103, Anselm himself and an envoy from the king (William Warelwast) set out for Rome,[31] Anselm in exile.[30] In response, Paschal excommunicated the bishops whom Henry had invested.

Second exile

Exiled from England, Anselm withdrew to Lyon after this ruling and awaited further action from Paschal. On 26 March 1105 Paschal excommunicated Henry's chief advisor (Robert of Meulan) for urging Henry to continue lay investiture,[32] as well as prelates invested by Henry and other counselors,[33] and threatened Henry with the same.[34] In April Anselm threatened to excommunicate Henry himself, probably to force Henry's hand in their negotiations.[35] In response Henry arranged a meeting with Anselm, and they managed a compromise at Laigle on 22 July 1105. Part of the agreement was that Robert's (and his associates') excommunication be lifted (given that they counsel the king to obey the papacy); Anselm lifted the excommunications on his own authority, an act which he later had to justify to Paschal.[36][37] Other conditions of the agreement were that Henry would forsake lay investiture if Anselm obtained Paschal's permission for clerics to do homage for their nobles; that the revenues of his see be given back to Anselm; and that priests not be allowed to marry. Anselm then insisted on having the Laigle agreement sanctioned by Paschal before he would consent to return to England. By letter Anselm also asked that the pope accept his compromise on doing homage to the king, because he had secured a greater victory in Henry's forsaking lay investiture.[38] On 23 March 1106 Paschal wrote Anselm accepting the compromise, though both saw this as a temporary compromise, and intended to later continue pushing for the Gregorian reform, including the custom of homage.[39]

Even after this, Anselm still refused to return to England.[40] Henry traveled to Bec and met with him on 15 August 1106. Henry made further concession, restoring to Anselm all the churches that had been seized by William; he promised that nothing more would be taken from the churches; prelates who had paid his controversial tax (which had started as a tax on married clergy)[41] would be exempt from taxes for three years; and he promised to restore all that had been taken from Canterbury during Anselm's exile, even giving Anselm security for this promise. These compromises on Henry's part strengthened the rights of the Church against the king. Anselm returned to England following this.

By 1107, the long dispute regarding investiture was finally settled. The Concordat of London announced the compromises that Anselm and Henry had made at Bec.[42] The final two years of Anselm's life were spent in the duties of his archbishopric. As archbishop, Anselm maintained his monastic ideals, which included stewardship, prudence, and fitting instruction to his flock, as well as prayer and contemplation.[43] During his service as archbishop, Anselm maintained a habit of pressing on his monarchs at expedient times (when they needed his help, and when he would have public support) to advance his Church reforms.[20] Anselm died on Holy Wednesday, 21 April 1109.

Motivation

Vaughn reads Anselm's motivation in the lay investiture conflict as advancing the interests of the see of Canterbury, rather than those of the Church at large.[44] Other historians had seen Anselm as aligned with the papacy against the English monarchs, but Vaughn asserts that he acted on his own, as a third pole in the controversy, his aim being to promote the primacy of the archdiocese of Canterbury. His view of Canterbury's primacy is demonstrated in his charter of c. 3 September 1101, in which he called himself "Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of Great Britain and Ireland and vicar of the High Pontiff Paschal".[30] By the end of his life he had secured the primatial status of Canterbury in relation to the papacy, and he had freed Canterbury from submission to the English king.[42] In addition to securing the archbishop of Canterbury's role as primate of the English bishops, Anselm also initiated Canterbury's permanent control over the Welsh bishops, and gained strong authority over the Irish bishops during his lifetime.[45]

He continued to work for the primacy of Canterbury, managing to force Paschal into sending the pallium for the archbishop of York to himself, so that the archbishop-elect would have to profess obedience to Canterbury before receiving it.[46] From his deathbed he anathematized all who failed to recognize Canterbury's primacy over York, as Thomas II of York was doing.[47] This anathema forced Henry to order Thomas to confess obedience to Canterbury.

During Henry's reign Anselm tried to advance another part of the Gregorian reform (which Henry actually supported): clerical celibacy. At Michaelmas of 1102, Anselm held a council in London in which he prohibited marriage and concubinage to those in holy orders[48] (as well as condemning simony and reforming regulations on clerical dress and sobriety).[30] In the previous two centuries, attempts at enforcing clerical celibacy had been made, but with little success. Anselm's council was disobeyed en masse as well. In 1106 Henry levied a tax on married clergy, ostensibly to enforce the council's canons,[49] but really in an effort to raise money for his war in Normandy.[50] Another council was held in 1108, which focused on enforcing the canons of the 1102 council by creating incentives for the archdeacons who in practice were in charge of enforcing such rules.

Writings

Anselm of Canterbury
Full name Anselm of Canterbury
Born 1033 Aosta Aosta listen (Italian) or Aoste (French) (Arpitan: Aoûta) is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, 110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard, Burgundy Burgundy is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland
Died 21 April 1109 Canterbury Canterbury (pronounced /ˈkæntərbri/ ( listen) or /ˈkæntərbɛri/) is an English city which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour, England
Era Medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy is the philosophy of Europe in the era now known as medieval or the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century A.D. to the Renaissance in the sixteenth century. It is defined partly by the process of rediscovering the ancient culture developed in Greece and Rome in the
Region Western Philosophy
School Founder of Scholasticism Scholasticism was a method of learning taught by the academics of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. Scholasticism was part of the attempt that medieval Christians made to reconcile ancient classical philosophy with Christianity. The synthesis of Greek Philosophy and medieval Christian Doctrine is the heart of scholasticism. (See also
Main interests Metaphysics Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that is not easily defined. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world. Someone who studies metaphysics would be called either a metaphysicist or a metaphysician (incl. Theology Theology is the study of a god or, more generally, the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, or of spirituality)
Notable ideas Ontological argument
Influenced by Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Gregory the Great
Influenced Bonaventure, Aquinas, Leibniz, Hegel

Anselm is the first scholastic philosopher of Christian theology. His great predecessor, Johannes Scotus Eriugena, was more speculative and mystical in his writings. Anselm's writings represent a recognition of the relationship of reason to revealed truth, and an attempt to elaborate a rational system of faith.

Foundation

Anselm sought to understand Christian doctrine through reason and develop intelligible truths interwoven with the Christian belief. He believed that the necessary preliminary for this was possession of the Christian faith. He wrote, "Neque enim quaero intelligere ut credam, sed credo ut intelligam. Nam et hoc credo, quia, nisi credidero, non intelligam. " ("Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this, too, I believe, that, unless I first believe, I shall not understand.") He held that faith precedes reason, but that reason can expand upon faith.[51]

The groundwork of Anselm's theory of knowledge is contained in the tract De Veritate, where he affirms the existence of an absolute truth in which all other truth participates. This absolute truth, he argues, is God, who is the ultimate ground or principle both of things and of thought. The notion of God becomes the foreground of Anselm's theory, so it is necessary first to make God clear to reason and be demonstrated to have real existence.

Anselm's world-view was broadly that of Neoplatonism, which he inherited from his primary influence, Augustine of Hippo, as well as from Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and possibly Scotus.[52] He also inherited a rationalist way of thinking from Aristotle and Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius.

Proofs

Anselm wrote many proofs within Monologion and Proslogion. In the first proof, Anselm relies on the ordinary grounds of realism, which coincide to some extent with the theory of Augustine. He argues that "things" are called "good" in a variety of ways and degrees, which would be impossible were there not some absolute standard and some good in itself, in which all relative goods participate. The same applies to adjectives like "great" and "just", whereby things involve a certain greatness and justice. Anselm uses this thought process to state that the very existence of things is impossible without some one Being, by whom they come to exist. This absolute Being, this goodness, justice and greatness, is God. Anselm is not thoroughly satisfied with this reasoning, however, because it begins from a posteriori grounds, meaning that the reasoning is inductive. The philosophy also contains several converging lines of proof.

In his Proslogion, Anselm put forward a proof of the existence of God called the ontological argument; although this type of proof had been produced by Avicenna some time before. The term itself was first applied by Kant to the arguments of Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century rationalists. Anselm defined his belief in the existence of God using the phrase "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". He reasoned that, if "that than which nothing greater can be conceived" existed only in the intellect, it would not be "that than which nothing greater can be conceived", since it can be thought to exist in reality, which is greater. It follows, according to Anselm, that "that than which nothing greater can be conceived" must exist in reality. The bulk of the Proslogion is taken up with Anselm's attempt to establish the identity of "that than which nothing greater can be conceived" as God, and thus to establish that God exists in reality.

Anselm's ontological proof has been the subject of controversy since it was first published in the 1070s. It was opposed at the time by the monk Gaunilo, in his Liber pro Insipiente, on the grounds that humans cannot pass from intellect to reality. Anselm replied to the objections in his Responsio.

Gaunilo's criticism is repeated by several later philosophers, among whom are Thomas Aquinas and Kant. Anselm wrote a number of other arguments for the existence of God, based on cosmological and teleological grounds.

Further works

In Anselm's other works, he strove to state the rational grounds of the Christian doctrines of creation and the Trinity. He discussed the Trinity first by stating that human beings could not know God from Himself but only from analogy. The analogy that he used was the self-consciousness of man.

The peculiar double-nature of consciousness, memory and intelligence represent the relation of the Father to the Son. The mutual love of these two (memory and intelligence), proceeding from the relation they hold to one another, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The further theological doctrines of man, such as original sin and free will, are developed in the Monologion and other treatises.

Statue of Anselm
Cur Deus Homo and Satisfaction Atonement

The Satisfaction (or Commercial) theory of the atonement was formulated by Anselm of Canterbury in his book, Cur Deus Homo (lit. ‘Why the God Man’).[53] He has introduced the idea of satisfaction as the chief demand of the nature of God, of punishment as a possible alternative of satisfaction and equally fulfilling the requirements of justice thus opening the way to the assertion of punishment as the true satisfaction of the law. In his view, God’s offended honor and dignity could only be satisfied by the sacrifice of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Anselm undertook to explain the rational necessity of the Christian mystery of the atonement. His philosophy rests on three positions—first, that satisfaction is necessary on account of God's honour and justice; second, that such satisfaction can be given only by the peculiar personality of the God-man Jesus; and, third, that such satisfaction is really given by this God-man's voluntary death.

According to this view, sin incurs a debt to Divine justice, a debt that must be paid somehow. Thus, no sin, according to Anselm, can be forgiven without satisfaction. However, the incurred debt is something far greater than a human being is capable of paying. All the service that a person can offer to God is already obligated on other debts to God.[53] By Anselm's time the suggestion has been made that some innocent person, or angel, might possibly pay the debt incurred by sinners. That, however, we would put the sinner under obligation to that deliverer and the sinner would become indebted to a "mere creature."[citation needed]

The only way in which the satisfaction could be made─that humans could be set free from their sin─was by the coming of a Redeemer who is both God and man. He himself would have to be sinless, thus having no debt that he owed. His death is something greater than all the sins of all humanity. His death makes full satisfaction to the Divine Justice. Anselm's theory persisted for eight centuries.[54]

Anselm's formulation differs markedly from Reformation views. For Anselm, Christ obeyed where we should have obeyed; for John Calvin, he was punished where we should have been punished. While Anselm's interpretation permitted man to offer Christ to God, the Protestant Faith insists that it is God, not man, who reconciles fallen humanity by sacrificing His son.[54]

Critics of Anselm assert that he puts the whole conflict on merely a legal footing, giving it no ethical bearing, and neglects altogether the consciousness of the individual to be redeemed. In this respect, it contrasts with the later theory of Peter Abélard.[citation needed]By way of criticism, theologian George Foley writes that the traditional statement of Anselm's doctrine has undoubtedly inspired the development of much devout and consecrated life. However, its religious power has come from the fact that it is an emotional witness to the fundamental reality of Incarnate love and sacrifice. Foley says it does not represent the faith of either the universal Church or the "continuous and unvarying formula of Christian thinkers."[54]:p.x

Foley claims that the fact that the doctrine is not a positive theory has brought "grievous harm" down through the centuries.[54] It likely influenced the church fathers to think more of being dwelling of God and humanity than of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ on behalf of humanity. The satisfaction theory of the Reformation, however, owed its existence to Anselm. It was made the test of orthodoxy and continued to be so until near the end of the 19th century. He also criticizes the fact that those tests of orthodoxy required one to subscribe to a rationalistic and metaphysical formula, in the place of the Scriptural doctrine from which it had been derived. Foley finds it no accident that the Scriptures avoid any explanation of the process of redemption. He says that "Anselm's adoption of a purely objective interpretation of Christ's work, and his assumption of and ability to penetrate into the esoteric relations of the Trinity, made him primarily responsible for the intrusive prying into Divine mysteries, and for the confident familiarity with the unrevealed portions of truth that issued in the dogmatic tyranny so conspicuous in the Protestant churches."[54]:pp256-7

Anselm denied the belief which is now referred to as the Immaculate Conception,[55] though his thinking laid the groundwork for the doctrine's development in the West. In De virginali conceptu et de peccato originali, he gave two principles which became fundamental for thinking about the Immaculate Conception. The first is that it was proper that Mary should be so pure that no purer being could be imagined, aside from God.

The second innovation in Anselm's thinking which opened the way for the Immaculate Conception was his understanding of original sin.[56] Anselm affirmed that original sin is simply human nature without original justice, and that it is transmitted because parents cannot give original justice if they do not have it themselves; original sin is the transmission of fallen human nature. In contrast, Anselm's contemporaries held that the transmission of original sin had to with the lustful nature of the act of sexual intercourse. Anselm was the first thinker to separate original sin from the lust of intercourse. This enabled later thinkers to see that God might keep Mary free from original sin, even though she was conceived through normal sexual intercourse.

"Dilecto dilectori"

It was reported that Anselm wrote many letters to monks, male relatives and others that contained passionate expressions of attachment and affection. These letters were typically addressed "dilecto dilectori", sometimes translated as "to the beloved lover." While there is wide agreement that Anselm was personally committed to the monastic ideal of celibacy, some academics, including Brian P. McGuire[57] and John Boswell[58] have characterized these writings as expressions of a homosexual inclination.[59] Others, such as Glenn Olsen[60] and Richard Southern describe them as representing a "wholly spiritual" affection, "nourished by an incorporeal ideal".[61]

Recognition

Alumni Hall at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire

The anniversary of Anselm's death on 21 April is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, much of the Anglican Communion, and in the Lutheran Church, as Anselm's memorial. Anselm's canonization was requested by Thomas Becket in 1163. Anselm may have been formally canonized at some point before Becket's death in 1170, but no explicit record has survived, even though Anselm was henceforth included among the saints at Canterbury and elsewhere. Some scholars contend that Anselm's canonization was only executed in 1494 by the notorious Borgia pope, Alexander VI.[62] He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI.[63] On 21 April 1909, 800 years after his death, Pope Pius X issued an encyclical "Communium Rerum", praising Anselm, his ecclesiastical career, and his writings. His symbol in hagiography is the ship, representing the spiritual independence of the church. Recently, Saint Anselm Abbey and its college, Saint Anselm College, named after Saint Anselm himself, held a massive celebration commemorating the 900th anniversary of Anselm's death. An image of the college is to the right. The Right Reverend Notker Wolf, O.S.B., Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation addressed the academic convocation, in which the Abbot was awarded with an honorary doctorate from the institution[64]. The Institute for Saint Anselm Studies is an academic research center conducted by Saint Anselm College and established to promote and encourage the study of the life, thought, and spirituality of Saint Anselm of Canterbury[65].

See also

Saints portal

References

  1. ^ a b c d Walsh, Michael, ed. Butler's Lives of the Saints. (HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 1991), pp. 117
  2. ^ a b Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 9.
  3. ^ R. Southern. St. Anselm: Portrait in a Landscape. (Cambridge University Press: 1992), pp. 8. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lxf-LvQvvwIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR15&dq=anselm+of+canterbury+r-southern&ots=e6-_fZ6v0B&sig=3rOwM0tvC4VVInlSWl099J0dyjE#PPA8,M1
  4. ^ R. Southern. St. Anselm: Portrait in a Landscape. (Cambridge University Press: 1992), pp. 32. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lxf-LvQvvwIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR15&dq=anselm+of+canterbury+r-southern&ots=e6-_fZ6v0B&sig=3rOwM0tvC4VVInlSWl099J0dyjE#PPA8,M1
  5. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 10.
  6. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 282.
  7. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 15.
  8. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 13.
  9. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 281.
  10. ^ a b Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 16.
  11. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "St. Anselm: Reluctant Archbishop?" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 6:3 (Autumn, 1974), 240–250: 245.
  12. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "St. Anselm: Reluctant Archbishop?" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 6:3 (Autumn, 1974), 240–250: 246.
  13. ^ a b c Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 286.
  14. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "St. Anselm: Reluctant Archbishop?" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 6:3 (Autumn, 1974), 240–250: 248.
  15. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 16–17.
  16. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 17.
  17. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm: Reluctant Archbishop?" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 6:3 (Autumn, 1974), 240–250: 240.
  18. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 287.
  19. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "Robert of Meulan and Raison d'État in the Anglo-Norman State, 1093–1118" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 10:4 (Winter, 1978), 352–373: 357.
  20. ^ a b c d e Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 293.
  21. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "Anselm: Saint and Statesman." Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 20:2 (Summer, 1988), 205–220: 205.
  22. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "Robert of Meulan and Raison d'État in the Anglo-Norman State, 1093–1118" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 10:4 (Winter, 1978), 352–373: 357.
  23. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 289.
  24. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 291.
  25. ^ a b Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 292.
  26. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "Robert of Meulan and Raison d'État in the Anglo-Norman State, 1093–1118" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 10:4 (Winter, 1978), 352–373: 360.
  27. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 63.
  28. ^ a b Hollister, C. Warren. The Making of England: 55 B.C. to 1399. (D. C. Heath and Company: Lexington, 1983): 120.
  29. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 67.
  30. ^ a b c d e Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 295.
  31. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 71.
  32. ^ Vaugh, Sally. "Robert of Meulan and Raison d'État in the Anglo-Norman State, 1093–1118" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 10:4 (Winter, 1978), 352–373: 367.
  33. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 74.
  34. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 19–20.
  35. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 75.
  36. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "Robert of Meulan and Raison d'État in the Anglo-Norman State, 1093–1118" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 10:4 (Winter, 1978), 352–373: 367.
  37. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 76.
  38. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 77.
  39. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 296–7.
  40. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 80.
  41. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 297.
  42. ^ a b Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 82.
  43. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "Anselm: Saint and Statesman." Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 20:2 (Summer, 1988), 205–220: 218.
  44. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 61.
  45. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 298.
  46. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, p. 83.
  47. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 298.
  48. ^ Partner, Nancy. "Henry of Huntingdon: Clerical Celibacy and the Writing of History." Church History. 42:4 (December, 1973) 467–475: 468.
  49. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St. Anselm and the English Investiture Controversy Reconsidered". Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 61–86, pp. 78-9.
  50. ^ Vaughn, Sally. "St Anselm of Canterbury: the philosopher-saint as politician." Journal of Medieval History. 1 (1975), 279–306: 296.
  51. ^ Hollister, C. Warren. Medieval Europe: A Short History. (John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1982): 302.
  52. ^ Charlesworth, M. J., trans. and ed. St. Anselm's Proslogion. (University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, 2003), pp. 23–4.
  53. ^ a b Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury. Cur Deus Homo or Why God Was Made Man. Oxford and London: John Henry and James Parker, 1865. Accessed Oct. 23, 2009 online:
  54. ^ a b c d e Foley, George C. Anselm's Theory of the Atonement." 1909. Online access Oct. 23, 2009. <http://www.archive.org/details/anselmstheory00foleuoft>
  55. ^ Janaro, John. "Saint Anselm and the Development of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception: Historical and Theological Perspectives." The Saint Anselm Journal. 3.2 (Spring 2006) 48–56: 51. https://www.anselm.edu/library/SAJ/pdf/32Janaro.pdf
  56. ^ Janaro, John. "Saint Anselm and the Development of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception: Historical and Theological Perspectives." The Saint Anselm Journal. 3.2 (Spring 2006) 48–56: 52. https://www.anselm.edu/library/SAJ/pdf/32Janaro.pdf
  57. ^ McGuire, Brian P. (1985). "Monastic Friendship and Toleration in Twelfth Century Cistercian Life". Monks, Hermits and the Ascetic Tradition: Papers Read at the 1984 Summer Meeting and the 1985 Winter Meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Society. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0631143513. , opinion re. Anselm noted at: "Faithful to the Truth; Chapter 2: Homosexuality and Tradition". Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. http://www.webcitation.org/5knIJS8G8.
  58. ^ Boswell, John (1980). Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. University Of Chicago Press. pp. 218, 219. ISBN 0226067114.
  59. ^ Anglican Bishop Michael Doe has speculated that Anselm's refusal in 1102 to publish the edict of the Council of London (1102), which proclaimed that sodomy must be confessed as a Sin, is further evidence{fact} in favour of Anselm's alleged homosexuality (Seeking the Truth in Love: The Church and Homosexuality;by Michael Doe; Pub. Darton, Longman and Todd (2000), p. 18. ISBN 978-0232523997).
  60. ^ Olsen, Glenn (1988). "St. Anselm and Homosexuality". Anselm Studies, II: Proceedings of the Fifth International Saint Anselm Conference. pp. 93–141.
  61. ^ Southern, Richard W. (1992). St. Anselm : A Portrait in a Landscape. Cambridge University Press. pp. 157. ISBN 0-521-43818-7.
  62. ^ John K. Roth, Saint Anselm (2000), Salem Press, ISBN 978-0-89356-878-8 [1]; Richard William Southern, Saint Anselm: a portrait in a landscape Cambridge University Press, 1992 (repring), ISBN 9780521438186, p. xxix
  63. ^ Walsh, Michael, ed. Butler's Lives of the Saints. (HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 1991), pp. 119.
  64. ^ http://www.anselm.edu/news+and+events/college+news/news/2009-11-09-convocation.htm
  65. ^ http://www.anselm.edu/administration/ISAS/

This article incorporates text from the article "Anselm" in the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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Preceded by Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury 1093–1109 Succeeded by Ralph d'Escures (in 1114)
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Augustine · Laurentius · Mellitus · Justus · Honorius · Deusdedit · Wighard · Theodore of Tarsus · Berhtwald · Tatwine · Nothhelm · Cuthbert · Bregowine · Jænberht · Æthelhard · Wulfred · Feologild · Ceolnoth · Æthelred · Plegmund · Athelm · Wulfhelm · Oda · Ælfsige · Byrhthelm · Dunstan · Æthelgar · Sigeric the Serious · Ælfric of Abingdon · Ælfheah · Lyfing · Æthelnoth · Eadsige · Robert of Jumièges · Stigand
Conquest–Reformation

Lanfranc · Anselm · Ralph d'Escures · William de Corbeil · Theobald of Bec · Thomas Becket · Roger de Bailleul · Richard of Dover · Baldwin of Exeter · Reginald Fitz Jocelin · Hubert Walter · Reginald · John de Gray · Stephen Langton · Walter d'Eynsham · Richard le Grant · Ralph Neville · John of Sittingbourne · John Blund · Edmund Rich · Boniface · William Chillenden · Robert Kilwardby · Robert Burnell · John Peckham · Robert Winchelsey · Thomas Cobham · Walter Reynolds · Simon Mepeham · John de Stratford · John de Ufford · Thomas Bradwardine · Simon Islip · William Edington · Simon Langham · William Whittlesey · Simon Sudbury · William Courtenay · Thomas Arundel · Roger Walden · Thomas Arundel · Henry Chichele · John Stafford · John Kemp · Thomas Bourchier · John Morton · Thomas Langton · Henry Deane · William Warham · Thomas Cranmer · Reginald Pole
Post-Reformation

Matthew Parker · Edmund Grindal · John Whitgift · Richard Bancroft · George Abbot · William Laud · William Juxon · Gilbert Sheldon · William Sancroft · John Tillotson · Thomas Tenison · William Wake · John Potter · Thomas Herring · Matthew Hutton · Thomas Secker · Frederick Cornwallis · John Moore · Charles Manners-Sutton · William Howley · John Sumner · Charles Longley · Archibald Tait · Edward Benson · Frederick Temple · Randall Davidson · Cosmo Lang · William Temple · Geoffrey Fisher · Michael Ramsey · Donald Coggan · Robert Runcie · George Carey · Rowan Williams
Medieval philosophers
Augustine of Hippo · Boëthius · Alkindus · Johannes Scotus Eriugena · Rhazes · Al-Jahiz · Alfarabi · Ibn Masarrah · Al Amiri · Ibn Miskawayh · Brethren of Purity · Alhazen · Ibn al-Rawandi · Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī · Avicenna · Ibn Hazm · Roscelin · Anselm of Canterbury · Algazel · Bernard of Chartres · Ayn-al-Quzat Hamadani · Avempace · Gilbert de la Porrée · Hugh of St Victor · Abélard · Gersonides · Hibat Allah Abu'l-Barakat al-Baghdaadi · Richard of St. Victor · Ibn Tufail · Averroës · Maimonides · Alexander of Hales · Mohammad Ibn Abd-al-Haq Ibn Sab’in · Alain de Lille · Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi · Abd-el-latif · Ibn Arabi · Robert Grosseteste · Albertus Magnus · Athīr al-Dīn al-Abharī · Nasīr al-Dīn al-Tūsī · Zakariya al-Qazwini · Ibn al-Nafis · Roger Bacon · Bonaventure · Thomas Aquinas · Ramon Llull · Godfrey of Fontaines · Henry of Ghent · Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi · Giles of Rome · Rashid al-Din · Fakhr al-Din al-Razi · Ibn Taymiyyah · Duns Scotus · William of Ockham · Jean Buridan · Nicole Oresme · John Hennon · Ibn Khaldun · Gemistus Pletho · Basilius Bessarion · Francisco de Vitoria · Lambertus de Monte
Doctors of the Church
St. Gregory the Great · St. Ambrose · St. Augustine · St. Jerome · St. John Chrysostom · St. Basil · St. Gregory Nazianzus · St. Athanasius of Alexandria · St. Cyril of Alexandria · St. Cyril of Jerusalem · St. John Damascene · St. Bede the Venerable · St. Ephrem · St. Thomas Aquinas · St. Bonaventure · St. Anselm · St. Isidore · St. Peter Chrysologus · St. Leo the Great · St. Peter Damian · St. Bernard of Clairvaux · St. Hilary of Poitiers · St. Alphonsus Liguori · St. Francis de Sales · St. Peter Canisius · St. John of the Cross · St. Robert Bellarmine · St. Albertus Magnus · St. Anthony of Padua · St. Lawrence of Brindisi · St. Teresa of Avila · St. Catherine of Siena · St. Thérèse of Lisieux ·
Philosophy of religion
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Afterlife • Euthyphro dilemma • Faith • Intelligent design • Miracle • Problem of evil • Religious belief • Soul • Spirit • Theodicy • Theological veto
Theories of religion

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Philosophers of religion

Albrecht Ritschl • Alvin Plantinga • Anselm of Canterbury • Antony Flew • Anthony Kenny • Augustine of Hippo • Averroes • Baron d'Holbach • Baruch Spinoza • Blaise Pascal • Bertrand Russell • Boethius • David Hume • Desiderius Erasmus • Emil Brunner • Ernst Cassirer • Ernst Haeckel • Ernst Troeltsch • Friedrich Schleiermacher • Friedrich Nietzsche • Gaunilo of Marmoutiers • Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel • George Santayana • Harald Høffding • Heraclitus • Jean-Luc Marion • Lev Shestov • Martin Buber • Mircea Eliade • Immanuel Kant • J. L. Mackie • Johann Gottfried Herder • Karl Barth • Ludwig Feuerbach • Maimonides • Paul Tillich • Pavel Florensky • Peter Geach • Pico della Mirandola • Reinhold Niebuhr • René Descartes • Richard Swinburne • Robert Merrihew Adams • Rudolf Otto • Søren Kierkegaard • Sergei Bulgakov • Thomas Aquinas • Thomas Chubb • Vladimir Solovyov • William Alston • William James • William Lane Craig • W.K. Clifford • William L. Rowe • William Whewell • William Wollaston • more ...
Existence of god
For Beauty • Christological • Consciousness • Cosmological • Degree • Desire • Experience · Love • Miracles • Morality • Ontological · Pascal's Wager · Proper basis • Reason • Teleological · Transcendental • Witness
Against 747 Gambit • Atheist's Wager • Evil • Free will • Hell • Inconsistent revelations • Nonbelief • Noncognitivism • Occam's razor • Omnipotence • Poor design • Russell's teapot • Fate of the unlearned
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Persondata
NAME Anselm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Anselm of Canterbury; Saint Anselm
SHORT DESCRIPTION Archbishop of Canterbury; Abbot of Bec; Philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH 1033
PLACE OF BIRTH Aosta, Burgundy
DATE OF DEATH 21 April 1109
PLACE OF DEATH Canterbury, Kent

Categories: 1033 births | 1109 deaths | People from Aosta Valley | Christian theologians | Ontologists | Metaphysicians | Roman Catholic theologians | Archbishops of Canterbury | 11th-century Roman Catholic archbishops | 12th-century Roman Catholic archbishops | Benedictines | Doctors of the Church | People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar | Scholastic philosophers | French abbots | Roman Catholic saints | Anglican saints

 

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