Life and setting
Anselm combined monastic spirituality with rigorous theological reasoning. Cur Deus Homo explored why the incarnation and atoning work of Christ were fitting, and his Proslogion is famous for an argument concerning God’s existence.
Medieval • Western / Scholastic Christianity
Anselm of Canterbury
1033/34 – 1109 • Archbishop and theologian
Why this person matters
He became a major bridge between monastic theology and medieval scholastic method.
What should not be sanitized
Later “satisfaction theory” is often associated with Anselm, but modern summaries can oversimplify his larger account of divine honor, justice and incarnation.