Who is Saint Anselm?

St Anselm of Canterbury is the patron saint of the Anglican/Episcopal ministry to college students in Arlington and the UTA community. His feast day is 21 April. As an Anglican scholar and a man of holiness and deep devotion, he seemed like a fitting choice to call our own. In Lesser Feasts and Fasts, we read:

Anselm was born in Italy about 1033, and took monastic vows in 1060 at the Abbey of Bee in Normandy. He succeeded his teacher Lanfranc as Prior of Bee in 1063, and as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. His episcopate was stormy, in continual conflict with the crown over the rights and freedom of the Church. His greatest talents lay in theology and spiritual direction.

As a pioneer in the scholastic method, Anselm remains the great exponent of the so-called "ontological argument" for the existence of God: God is "that than which nothing greater can be thought." Even the fool, who (in Psalm 14) says in his heart "There is no God," must have an idea of God in his mind, the concept of an unconditional being (ontos) than which nothing greater can be conceived; otherwise he would not be able to speak of "God" at all. And so this something, "God," must exist outside the mind as well; because, if he did not, he would not in fact be that than which nothing greater can be thought. Since the greatest thing that can be thought must have existence as one of its properties, Anselm asserts, "God" can be said to exist in reality as well as in the intellect, but is not dependent upon the material world for verification. To some, this "ontological argument" has seemed mere deductive rationalism; to others it has the merit of showing that faith in God need not be contrary to human reason.

Anselm is also the most famous exponent of the "satisfaction theory" of the atonement. Anselm explains the work of Christ in terms of the feudal society of his day. If a vassal breaks his bond, he has to atone for this to his lord; likewise, sin violates a person's bond with God, the supreme Lord, and atonement or satisfaction must be made. Of ourselves, we are unable to make such atonement, because God is perfect and we are not. Therefore, God himself has saved us, becoming perfect man in Christ, so that a perfect life could be offered in satisfaction for sin.

Undergirding Anselm's theology is a profound piety. His spirituality is best summarized in the phrase, "faith seeking understanding." He writes, "I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order that I may understand. For this, too, I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand."

Collect
Almighty God, who didst raise up thy servant Anselm to teach the Church of his day to understand its faith in thine eternal Being, perfect justice, and saving mercy: Provide thy Church in every age with devout and learned scholars and teachers, that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

You can read Anslem's works on Dr Hopkins' website, here.