Anselm (Outstanding Christian Thinkers)

St Anselm of Canterbury was one of the great Christian writers of medieval Europe and among the best theologians of any age. He is perhaps best known as the inventor of the famous "ontological argument" for God's existence but his theology has a much broader basis. His originality consisted not in challenging existing understanding of doctrine, but in finding new ways to reinforce and clarify the truths of faith. Parallel with Anselm's theology are the spiritual writings which balance his notion of God's justice with an understanding of the gentleness and mercy of a God who comes to meet humanity in its suffering and striving. In this study Dr Evans explores the two sides of Anselm's work demonstrating that prayer formed the foundations for the soaring structures of his reasoning.