
Sandra Visser and Thomas Williams offer a brief, accessible introduction to the life and thought of Saint Anselm (c. 1033-1109). Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury for the last sixteen years of his life, is one of the foremost philosopher-theologians of the Middle Ages. His keen and rigorous thinking earned him the title "The Father of Scholasticism," and his influence is discernible in figures as various as Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, the voluntarists of the late-thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and the Protestant reformers. In part I of this book, Visser and Williams lay out the framework of Anselm's thought: his approach to what he calls "the reason of faith," his account of thought and language, and his theory of truth. Part II focuses on Anselm's account of God and the divine attributes, and it shows how Anselm applies his theory of language and thought to develop a theological semantics that at once respects divine transcendence and allows for the possibility of divine rational knowledge. In Part III, Visser and Williams turn from the heavenly to the animal. They elucidate Anselm's theory of modality and his understanding of free choice, an idea that was, for Anselm, embedded in his conception of justice. The book concludes with a discussion of Incarnation, Atonement, and original sin, as the authors examine Anselm's argument that the death of a God-man is the only possible remedy for human injustice.
This book investigates the philosophical and theological framework of Saint Anselm of Canterbury to determine how his rigorous logic shaped the development of Scholasticism. Sandra Visser and Thomas Williams, both scholars of medieval philosophy, utilize Anselm's primary texts to reconstruct his approach to faith and reason. They argue that Anselm's work provides a coherent system that bridges divine transcendence with human rational inquiry. By examining his theories on language, truth, and modality, the authors demonstrate the enduring influence of his thought on later medieval and Reformation-era thinkers.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts identify this work as a clear and accessible entry point for students of medieval philosophy. Readers frequently note that the authors successfully distill complex scholastic arguments into a manageable format for those new to Anselm's thought.
Page Count:
315
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
ISBN-10:
0190294868
ISBN-13:
9780190294861
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