Why God Became Man: Saint Anselm, Cur Deus Homo, and a Religious Challenge in Anglo-Norman Enland
Abstract
The study of Saint Anselm has been marked by a profound duality. Anselm's great contributions to the history of ideas have been the province of philosophers and theologians, while historians have concentrated on his actions as monk, abbot, and Archbishop of Canterbury during the Gregorian Reform. Anselm's life was theology in action, and yet no historian has fully explored the possibility that Anselm's policies as head of the Catholic Church in England were the natural outgrowth of his religious convictions and theology interacting with the world. Scarcely one year after his consecration as archbishop, Anselm was faced with a conflicting allegiance to king and pope at the Council of Rockingham in 1095. Anselm's evolving ideas on what was owed to Caesar and what to Christ, as well as the role of obedience in the redemption of humanity, spurred on his theological development, culminating in Cur Deus Homo, the Christ-theodicy of why God became Man. Thus, it was no accident that Anselm wrote one of his most brilliant theological works in the midst of his conflict with the English crown. This thesis examines the evolution of Anselm's ideas on secular and spiritual authority in light of the Council of Rockingham, demonstrating that Anselm's theology provided the framework for his policies and that the conflicts he faced as archbishop enriched his theological development. (80 refs.)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA427718
Entities
People
- Adam C. Wolfe
Organizations
- Bowling Green State University