The Evergreen Influence of Anselm

For this issue of Credo Magazine, we sat down with Dr. David Hogg: professor, medieval historian, and author of multiple books, including Anselm of Canterbury: The Beauty of Theology. Dr. Hogg answers questions from editor Matt Pitts about how he discovered Anselm’s works, how Anselm has shaped his thinking and ministry, and what Anselm can teach today’s pastors and theologians.

What was your first introduction to Anselm?

I first heard of Anselm in Dr. Sinclair Ferguson’s Doctrine of God class while studying for my M.Div. at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. Although I had studied medieval history extensively for my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, theology was not the focus of my classes so, as far as I can remember, Anselm never came up. I think what caught my attention most was Dr. Ferguson walking us through Anselm’s dictum, “God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived”.

How has your study of Anselm shaped your own ministry?

I can think of at least 2 ways in which studying Anselm has shaped my ministry. First, is his astounding statement to Boso in the Cur Deus Homo when Anselm informs him, “You have not yet considered how heavy is the weight of sin.” Throughout my ministry, I have been keenly aware that sin is indeed very heavy, and heavier than many of us would like to admit. But, along with Anselm, I have also sought to foreground the immense grace of God that no sin can outweigh.

The second way studying Anselm has shaped my ministry is through his constant and consistent emphasis on prayer. Anselm, a monk, was a man of prayer, and that shines through everything he wrote. Prayer is not something that started his day, but a practice that accompanied him throughout every moment. Prayer is not something that started his day, but a practice that accompanied him throughout every moment. Share on X

How can Anselm help a pastor in his preaching?

Anselm was not a preacher, though preaching was certainly alive and well in his day, so any help he might provide a modern day preacher will not be direct. In a way, Anselm and Richard Baxter, the Puritan, were very much on the same page insofar as they both understood that even though preaching will be effective in its own right, the preacher should not neglect sitting down with his people regularly to ensure that they are taking in what is being fed to them. Anselm spent countless hours in the presence of his students and parishioners, ensuring that they understood the good, the true, and the beautiful of God’s revelation.

How can Anselm help a pastor in his public prayers?

Anselm’s prayers flow directly out of his doctrine. Improving in public prayer may require growing less worried about what people think (a common problem), but it most certainly requires an ever deepening understanding of who God is. Anselm poured over the Scriptures and the great theologians of the past as a means to draw closer to God, and that in-working of God’s self-revelation resulted in an ever more effective out-working of expression in public prayer.

What makes Anselm stand out as one of the great minds of the Great Tradition?

Anselm was creative in his thinking, and he wasn’t afraid to ask why something should be accepted. In a way, he was a good Berean, as we like to say. The best example of this is his rejection of the prevailing view that God had to pay a ransom to the Devil in order to free sinners, and that ransom was Christ. Anselm was careful not to upset everyone by simply saying this approach to the atonement is seriously flawed; instead, he provided a positive alternative and gently put the prevailing position out of view.

What can we get from Anselm that we may not find in contemporary books?

If anyone takes the time to read even some of Anselm’s 400+ letters, they will soon see a man who cares deeply for the plight of others. Their physical and spiritual well-being are of primary concern to him. I think we can all learn how to express concern for others in something more than a quick text message. Anselm wrote with passion and compassion, knowing that how he conveyed his thoughts and feelings was as important as what he expressed.

Reading Anselm’s prayers and meditations will also move the modern reader into places they almost never go. Prayer can so easily become perfunctory and thoughtless. Anselm encourages us to slow down, think about what needs to be said, and proceed with more intentionality and awareness of the One to whom we are speaking. Prayer can so easily become perfunctory and thoughtless. Anselm encourages us to slow down, think about what needs to be said, and proceed with more intentionality and awareness of the One to whom we are speaking. Share on X

The subtitle of your book on Anselm is “The beauty of theology.” What does Anselm teach us about the relationship between beauty and theology?

Anselm teaches us that God is beautiful, which is to say, his self-revelation and actions in history are fitting to who he is. Thus, in the Cur Deus Homo, Anselm points out that when God put his plan in place to redeem humanity from the curse of sin which came through “what hung on a tree” (ie. the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), he did so through Jesus who also “hung on a tree” (ie. the cross). Furthermore, the means by which the Son of God entered the world was by a woman (virgin birth), which is fitting because sin entered the world by a woman (Eve was the first to disobey God).

How can Anselm help introduce us to other important figures in the Great Tradition?

Well, he certainly introduces us to Augustine! In one of his earliest works, the Monologion, Anselm tells us in the preface that everything he wrote either comes from Augustine or is directly related to what Augustine wrote. Granted, this is Anselm’s way of avoiding the danger of being too novel and getting in trouble (especially when discussing the Trinity is fraught with challenges), but it is also a tip of the hat to another great theologian who is worth reading.In a world where the stamp of approval is that something has been “scientifically proven”, we need to remember that all knowledge, science included, is subject to faith because such a framework helps us see more clearly. Share on X

It’s also interesting how many people have taken up Anselm’s positions on the atonement and the existence of God and, on the other side, how many have rejected them or raised issues. Following the line of thought beyond Anselm is another way to appreciate the dynamism of the Great Tradition.

What is something that has surprised you in your study of Anselm?

I’ve been surprised at how rich the material is that he left for us. As one example of what I mean, I was asked some time ago to write on human flourishing from the medieval perspective with a special focus on Anselm. As I returned to Anselm’s writings, I discovered how much there was that directly and indirectly addressed our flourishing. I think this is part of what it means to write contemplatively. Anselm wrote thoughtfully and carefully, and that lends itself to a depth and richness that repays re-reading.

In what ways has reading Anselm impacted your work in the classroom?

I think one of the most significant ways Anselm has impacted my work in the classroom is to repeatedly remind students of Anselm’s starting place, “I do not seek to understand so that I might believe, but I believe so that I might understand; for this also I believe, that unless I believe, I cannot understand.” To put that another way, faith is the context in which reason operates, not the other way around. In a world where the stamp of approval is that something has been “scientifically proven”, we need to remember that all knowledge, science included, is subject to faith because such a framework helps us see more clearly. 

Image Credit: Pawel Biernacki | Flickr

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