"Faith Seeking Understanding," St. Anselm of Bec and Canterbury, 21April

From "Bishop Alan's Blog"...


Saint Anselm of Bec and Canterbury died this day 900 years ago in 1109. There’s been barely a squeak about the anniversary. But he was not only an impressive Archbishop of Canterbury but a major theologian and philosopher, who can be seen as the founder of Scholasticism and originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God.

The keystone of his work is the relationship between faith and reason, from the basis that faith seeks and leads to understanding: credo ut intelligam. I find that to be very true for me. Faith comes first, a gift a God. But that does not mean we switch our brains off. They too are part of God’s gift to us, and in the powers and patterns of our intellect His pattern is already etched. We may not be able to use them to prove the things of God in the tightest sense of proof (and Anselm’s own ‘proofs’ were not for him knockdown arguments either), but they do reveal a world fully consistent with our faith, and full of beauty and integrity too. Happy Birthday Anselm!

Almighty God, who raised up your servant Anselm to teach the Church of his day to understand its faith in your eternal Being, perfect justice, and saving mercy: Provide your Church in every age with devout and learned scholars and teachers, that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.