Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm of Canterbury 'Saint Anselm' redirects here. For other saints, see Saint Anselm (disambiguation). Anselm of Canterbury (Latin: Anselmus Cantuarien- sis; c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), also called Anselm of Aosta (Italian: Anselmo d'Aosta) after his birthplace and Anselm of Bec (French: Anselme du Bec) after his monastery, was a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of the Catholic Church, who held the of- fice of archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. Af- ter his death, he was canonized as a saint; his feast day is 21 April. Beginning at Bec, Anselm composed dialogues and trea- tises with a rational and philosophical approach, sometimes causing him to be credited as the founder of Scholasticism. Despite his lack of recognition in this field in his own time, Anselm is now famed as the originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God and of the satisfaction theory of atonement. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by a bull of Pope Clement XI in 1720. As archbishop, he defended the church’s interests in Eng- land amid the Investiture Controversy. For his resistance to the English kings William II and Henry I, he was ex- A French plaque commemorating the supposed birthplace of iled twice: once from 1097 to 1100 and then from 1105 to Anselm in Aosta. (The identification is probably spurious.)[1] 1107. While in exile, he helped guide the Greek bishops of southern Italy to adopt Roman rites at the Council of Bari. He worked for the primacy of Canterbury over the Susa through his wife Adelaide in preference to her un- bishops of York and Wales but, though at his death he cle’s families, who had supported the effort to establish an appeared to have been successful, Pope Paschal II later independent Kingdom of Italy under William the Great reversed himself and restored York’s independence. of Aquitaine. Otto and Adelaide’s unified lands then con- trolled the most important passes in the western Alps and formed the county of Savoy whose dynasty would later rule the kingdoms of Sardinia and Italy. 1 Biography Records during this period are scanty, but both sides of Anselm’s immediate family appear to have been dispos- 1.1 Family sessed by these decisions[4] in favour of their extended relations.[5] His father Gundulph[6] or Gundulf[7] was a Anselm was born in or around Aosta in Upper Burgundy Lombard noble,[8] probably one of Adelaide’s Arduinici sometime between April 1033 and April 1034.[2] The uncles or cousins;[9] his mother Ermenberga was almost area now forms part of the Republic of Italy, but Aosta certainly the granddaughter of Conrad the Peaceful, re- had been part of the Carolingian Kingdom of Arles un- lated both to the Anselmid bishops of Aosta and to the til the death of the childless Rudolph III in 1032.[3] The heirs of Henry II who had been passed over in favour Emperor and the Count of Blois then went to war over of Conrad.[9] The marriage was thus probably arranged his succession. Humbert the White-Handed, count of for political reasons but was incapable of resisting Con- Maurienne, so distinguished himself that he was granted rad’s decrees after his successful annexation of Burgundy a new county carved out of the secular holdings of the on 1 August 1034.[10] (Bishop Burchard subsequently re- less helpful bishop of Aosta. Humbert’s son Otto was volted against imperial control but was defeated; he was subsequently permitted to inherit the extensive march of ultimately translated to Lyons.) Ermenberga appears to 1 2 1 BIOGRAPHY have been the wealthier of the two. Gundulph moved the archbishop of Rouen, who convinced him to enter the to his wife’s town,[3] where she held a palace, likely abbey as a novice at the age of 27.[15] Probably in his near the cathedral, along with a villa in the valley.[11] first year, he wrote his first work on philosophy, a treat- Anselm’s father is sometimes described as having a harsh ment of Latin paradoxes called the Grammarian.[21] Over and violent temper[6] but contemporary accounts merely the next decade, the Rule of Saint Benedict reshaped his portray him as having been overgenerous or careless thought.[22] with his wealth;[12] Anselm’s patient and devoutly reli- gious mother,[6] meanwhile, made up for her husband’s fault with her own prudent management of the family estates.[12] In later life, there are records of three relations who visited Bec: Folceraldus, Haimo, and Rainaldus. The first repeatedly attempted to impose on Anselm’s success but was rebuffed owing to his ties to another monastery; the latter two Anselm attempted in vain to persuade to join his community.[13] A cross at Bec Abbey commemorating the connection between it and Canterbury. Lanfranc, Anselm, and Theobald were all priors at Bec before serving as primates over England. Becca di Nona south of Aosta, the sight of a supposed mystical vision during Anselm’s childhood.[14] 1.3 Abbot of Bec 1.3.1 Early years 1.2 Early life Three years later, in 1063, Duke William summoned At the age of fifteen, Anselm desired to enter a monastery Lanfranc to serve as the abbot of his new abbey of St but, failing to obtain his father’s consent, he was re- [6] [15] Stephen at Caen and the monks of Bec—with some fused by the abbot. The illness he then suffered dissenters at first on account of his youth[15]—elected has been considered a psychosomatic effect of his Anselm as his replacement.[23] A notable opponent was disappointment,[6] but upon his recovery he gave up his [6] a young monk named Osborne. Anselm overcame his studies and for a time lived a carefree life. hostility first by praising, indulging, and privileging him Following the death of his mother, probably at the birth of in all things despite his hostility and then, when his af- his sister Richera,[16] Anselm’s father repented his earlier fection and trust were gained, gradually withdrawing all lifestyle but professed his new faith with a severity that preference until he upheld the strictest obedience.[24] the boy found likewise unbearable.[17] Once Gundulph Along similar lines, he remonstrated a neighboring ab- had entered a convent,[18] Anselm, at age 23,[19] left home bot who complained that his charges were incorrigi- with a single attendant,[6] crossed the Alps, and wandered ble despite being beaten “night and day”.[25] After fif- through Burgundy and France for three years.[15][n 1] His teen years, in 1078, Anselm was unanimously elected countryman Lanfranc of Pavia was then prior of the as Bec’s abbot following the death of its founder,[26] Benedictine abbey of Bec; attracted by the fame of his fel- the warrior-monk Herluin.[6] He was consecrated by the low countryman, Anselm reached Normandy in 1059.[6] Bishop of Évreux on 22 February 1079.[27] The con- After spending some time in Avranches, he returned the secration was rushed in order to take advantage of the next year. His father having died, he consulted with Lan- vacancy of the archbishopric of Rouen, the abbacy’s su- franc as to whether to return to his estates and employ perior. Had Anselm been consecrated by an archbishop, their income in providing alms or to renounce them, be- he would have been under pressure to profess his obe- coming a hermit or a monk at Bec or Cluny.[20] Profess- dience, compromising Bec’s financial and ecclesiastical ing to fear his own bias, Lanfranc sent him to Maurilius, independence. 1.3 Abbot of Bec 3 his assistance.[15] He then travelled to his former pupil Gilbert Crispin, abbot of Westminster, and waited, ap- parently delayed by the need to assemble the donors of Bec’s new lands in order to obtain royal approval of the grants.[36] Bec Abbey in Normandy. Under Anselm’s direction, Bec became the foremost seat of learning in Europe,[6] attracting students from France, Italy, and elsewhere.[28] During this time, he wrote the Monologion and Proslogion.[6] He then composed a se- ries of dialogues on the nature of truth, free will,[6] and the fall of Satan.[21] When the nominalist Roscelin attempted to appeal to the authority of Lanfranc and Anselm at his trial for the heresy of tritheism at Soissons A 19th-century portrayal of Anselm being dragged to the cathe- in 1092,[29] Anselm composed the first draft of De Fide dral by the English bishops. Trinitatis as a rebuttal and as a defence of Trinitarianism and universals.[30] The fame of the monastery grew not At Christmas, William II pledged by the Holy Face of only from his intellectual achievements, however, but Lucca that neither Anselm nor any other would sit at also from own good example[20] and his loving, kindly Canterbury while he lived[37] but in March he fell se- method of discipline[6]—particularly with the younger riously ill at Alveston. Believing his sinful behavior monks[15]—and from his spirited defence of the abbey’s was responsible,[38] he summoned Anselm to hear his independence from lay and archiepiscopal control, pro- confession and administer last rites.[36] He published a tecting it from the influence of both the new Archbishop proclamation releasing his captives, discharging his debts, of Rouen and the Earl of Leicester.[31] and promising to henceforth govern according to the law.[15] On 6 March 1093, he further nominated Anselm to fill the vacancy at Canterbury, the clerics gathered at 1.3.2 In England court acclaiming him, forcing the crozier into his hands, and bodily carrying him to a nearby church amid a Te Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, de- Deum.[39] Anselm tried to refuse on the grounds of age voted lords had given the abbey extensive lands across and ill-health

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