The Works of Saint Anselm (Translated by Sidney Norton Deane)

Saint Anselm of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk and philosopher, known as the father of scholasticism, whose works are impressive testaments to the historic and social significance of the Christian religion. In the “Proslogium”, or “Discourse on the Existence of God” we find the origination of the ontological argument for the existence of God. Saint Anselm’s rationalizations for Christian beliefs are continued in his “Monologium” or “Monologue” in which he argues that anyone of reasonable intelligence should be able to see proof for the existence of God in examining the various degrees of good and evil in the world. “Cur Deus Homo” or “Why God Became Man” discusses how Jesus Christ was sent to atone for God’s dissatisfaction with mankind, defending God’s honor and justice. Saint Anselm’s ideas were not universally accepted, which is exhibited by the rebuttal of Benedictine monk Gaunilo, “In Behalf of the Fool”, a work which is included along with Saint Anslem’s response in this volume. Because Saint Anselm’s rationalization for spirituality did not rely on empirical evidence but rather was based purely on intuitive reasoning his beliefs were truly a testament of his personal faith in God. Saint Anselm’s writings, as well as the critique by Gaunilo, remain to this day as critical expositions on Christian theology. This collection of Saint Anselm’s works follows the translation of Sidney Norton Deane.