Anselm of Canterbury and his Theological Inheritance

Book excerpt: Anselm of Canterbury is one of the most famous of medieval Christian thinkers, who left a considerable political and intellectual inheritance of his own. This book reveals that the theological and intellectual inheritance available to Anselm was more dynamic, broader and deeper than is traditionally thought and Anselm was influenced by more than just the works of St Augustine. Giles Gasper focuses particularly on the part played by the translated works of the Greek Fathers. Demonstrating how widely the writings of the Fathers of the Church were available in western libraries, Gasper goes on to compare key aspects of doctrine in Anselm's thought with that of the notable Greek Fathers. Questioning the way in which Anselm and other authors have been described, this book moves away from well worn routes of interpretation and provides new perspectives on this most significant figure in the history of the church, the middle ages, and western thought.