Anselm of Canterbury

Monk, Archbishop, Philosopher, and Theologian

1033–1109
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Anselm of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk, archbishop, philosopher, and theologian whose work helped shape medieval Christian thought. He is often associated with the phrase “faith seeking understanding,” which summarizes his conviction that Christian belief does not eliminate rational inquiry but gives it a proper starting point. Anselm’s writings on God, freedom, sin, the incarnation, and the atonement influenced generations of theologians in both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions.

Anselm was born in 1033 at Aosta, in the Alpine region of what is now northern Italy. As a young man, he left home and traveled northward, eventually entering the Benedictine abbey of Bec in Normandy. There he studied under Lanfranc, a respected scholar who later became archbishop of Canterbury. Anselm became prior of Bec in 1063 and abbot in 1078. Under his leadership, Bec developed into an important center of theological and philosophical learning. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

While at Bec, Anselm wrote several of his most influential works. In the Monologion, he reflected on how reason might lead the mind toward knowledge of God. In the Proslogion, he presented the argument later known as the ontological argument. Anselm described God as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived” and reasoned that the greatest conceivable being cannot exist only in the mind. His argument has been debated, criticized, reformulated, and defended for centuries. Anselm’s purpose, however, was devotional as well as philosophical: the Proslogion is written as a prayerful search for deeper understanding. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

In 1093 Anselm reluctantly became archbishop of Canterbury. His years as archbishop were marked by prolonged conflict with the English monarchy over the independence of the church and the appointment of bishops. Disputes with Kings William II and Henry I led to two periods of exile. These struggles formed part of the wider medieval controversy over whether kings or church authorities possessed the right to invest bishops with the symbols of office. (Routledge)

Anselm’s most influential theological work was Cur Deus Homo, or Why God Became Man. In it he asked why the incarnation and death of Christ were necessary for human salvation. He argued that sin dishonors God and disrupts the moral order of creation. Humanity owes obedience to God but cannot repair the damage caused by sin. Satisfaction must therefore be made by one who is truly human, because humanity owes the debt, and truly divine, because only God can offer something sufficient to restore what sin has violated. Thus the God-man, Jesus Christ, acts on behalf of humanity. (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)

Anselm’s satisfaction account of the atonement strongly influenced later Western theology. It should not be confused in every detail with later theories of penal substitution, although it helped provide concepts from which those theories developed. His explanation also reflects the social and legal categories of the medieval world, especially honor, obligation, and satisfaction. Christians should therefore appreciate its insight while testing its categories against the full biblical witness concerning sacrifice, reconciliation, victory, forgiveness, covenant, and substitution.

Anselm also wrote on truth, free will, the fall of the devil, divine foreknowledge, predestination, and grace. His writings combine careful reasoning with prayer, humility, and a desire to understand what the church confesses. He did not believe that reason stood above revelation; rather, he used reason in service of faith.

As a conversation partner, Anselm helps readers explore the relationship between faith and reason and asks why the incarnation, cross, and resurrection were necessary for salvation. His work reminds Christians that doctrine should lead not merely to intellectual mastery but to worship. At the same time, his conclusions must remain accountable to Scripture, which alone possesses final authority.

“In your light do we see light.”
—Psalm 36:9