St Anselm (1033-1109) abbot, archbishop of Canterbury, philosopher and theologian
His early life
Anselm was born in Aosta, Lombardy
in north-east Italy, into a land-owning family. While his father was
rough and spendthrift, his mother was gentle and pious.
Anselm at
fifteen wanted to become a monk, but as his father would not agree, he
was not accepted. Disappointed he gave up his studies.
When his mother
died and his father's harshness became unbearable, Anselm left home and
wandered through Burgundy and France, where his mother had relatives.
Student and monk at Bec
Moving on to Normandy,
Anselm was attracted by the fame of his fellow Lombard, Lanfranc, who
was then prior of the Benedictine abbey of Bec.
Anselm went to study
there first as a secular student, and later as a monk.
When Lanfranc
was made prior at Caen (1063), Anselm at the age of thirty was elected
prior at Bec and it then developed further as an important seat of
learning.
Philosophical writings
During his time at Bec Anselm wrote his works of philosophy, the Monologion (1076) and the Proslogion (1077–8), the latter being famous for its ontological argument for the existence of God. He also wrote four philosophical dialogues: De grammatico (which is a work on Logic), De veritate (On Truth) , De libertate arbitrii (On freedom of Choice), and De casu diaboli (The Fall of the Devil)
Abbot at Bec
When Herluin, the first abbot and
founder of Bec, died in 1078, Anselm was elected abbot by uninimous
vote of the community. He combined the spiritual and temporal demands of
leadership, being a loving father to his monks and expanding the
abbey's lands to good use.
He became well known for his insight into
human nature, the virtues and vices, but also for his devotion and
asceticism. Anselm occasionally visited England to view the abbey's
property there, as well as to visit Lanfranc, who had now become
archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop at Canterbury and conflict with the kings
When Lanfranc
died in 1089, Anselm was the obvious choice to succeed him.
But the
king, William Rufus, prevaricated for four years during which he strove
to appropriate church lands, offices, and incomes.
Eventually in 1093
when he became ill, Rufus did nominate Anselm, but they were constantly
at loggerheads over lay investiture.
In 1097 Anselm went into exile
first in France and then to Rome, where Pope Urban II not only supported
Anselm’s position, but declined his request to be relieved of his
office.
In the controversies with the Eastern Church which followed the
split of 1054 Urban made use of Anselm's visit to help him defend the
Western insertion of Filioque in the Creed and the use of
unleavened bread in the West against representatives of the Greek Church
at a provincial council at Bari.
When King William Rufus died in 1100, Anselm returned to England, but
he was again in conflict with the new king, Henry I, over lay
investiture.
In 1103 he once again travelled to Rome. Pope Paschal II
again decided in Anselm’s favor, but the king forbade him to return to
England. However, eventually there was reconciliation just before Anselm
died in 1109.
Jurisdiction over Dublin
During the Norse
occupation of Dublin, those who were bishops looked more to Canterbury
for their jurisdiction and their ordination than to Ireland, as until
the synod of Rath Breasail (1111) there was no real diocesan structure
in Ireland and Dublin did not join that until the Synod of Kells (1152).
Lanfranc ordained Giolla Patrick (1074-1084) and Donngus (1084-95),
both Benedictines. Anselm ordained Bishop Samuel Ua hAingli (1096-1121),
who may also have become a Benedictine.
His tomb is still to be seen in
the Church of St Michan's (Church of Ireland Anglican Communion) Church
today.
In a charter of 1101, Anselm refers to himself as "Archbishop
of Canterbury and primate of Great Britain and Ireland and vicar of the
High Pontiff Paschal".
His theological writings
While archbishop in exile, Anselm wrote a number of theological works including his famous treatise on the Incarnation entitled Cur Deus Homo?
His other theological works written during these difficult times include: De conceptu virginali et de originali peccato ("On the Virgin Conception and on Original Sin" -1099), De processione Spiritus Sancti ("On the Proceeding of the Holy Spirit" - 1102), the Epistola de sacrificio azymi et fermentati (1106-7), De sacramentis ecclesiae (1106-7), and De concordia, praescientiae et praedestinationis et gratiae Dei cum libero arbitrio ("On the Harmony of the Foreknowledge, the Predestination, and the Grace of God with Free Choice" - 1107-8).
Cur Deus homo?
Anslem's best known work Cur Deus homo?
("Why did God become man?") puts forward what is called the
satisfaction theory of redemption.
Since the satisfaction due to God as a
result of original sin was greater than what all created beings were
capable of doing, God had to make satisfaction for himself.
Yet if this
satisfaction was going to avail for humans, it had to be made by a
human.
Therefore only a being that was both God and man could satisfy
God and give him the honor that is due him.
Influence
Anselm's biography was written by the
Anglo-Saxon monk Eadmer, who had been his friend and disciple.
Though
Becket tried to have him canonised, he was never officilally made a
saint, but Pope Clement XI declared him a doctor of the Roman Catholic
Church in 1720, and is he considered a saint by the Roman Catholic
Church and the churches in the Anglican Communion.
Fides quaerens intellectum
Anselm's theological motto, fides quaerens intellectum
("faith seeking understanding"), has become the basis and indeed a
definition for all theological enquiry: it is inspired by the text of 1
Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the hope that you have".