Religion Saint Anselm, the Duke of Canturbury,

Religion

Saint Anselm, the Duke of Canturbury, was "one of the most important Christian thinkers of the eleventh century," (Sadler). This is because Anselm used a reasoned philosophical argument to address theological questions. In Cur Deus Homo, or Why God Became Man, the author addresses the Incarnation of Christ and the theme of Atonement for sin from this philosophical perspective. Anselm distinguishes between "different ways in which an action or state can be just or unjust, specifically just and unjust at the same time," (Sadler).

Why God Became Man is divided into two sections. The first part addresses sin and redemption in a general fashion. Anselm outlines the concept of sin as fulfilling the satisfaction of God, which is related the concept of being indebted to God. This is outlined best in Chapter 11 of Book 1. The author states, "To sin is nothing else than not to render to God his due." The author seems to be suggesting a radical notion of original sin, in which God purposefully enabled Man to sin in order to execute the act of the Incarnation and the return to God. Anselm claims, "Every wish of a rational creature should be subject to the will of God," (Book 1, Chapter 11).

Anselm's concept of the relationship between human beings and God is dependent on a sense of balance and justice. His arguments are presented in Socratic dialogue format, which is appealing to the reader. This method is also appropriate for a rational and philosophical debate. Boso and Anselm engage in a deep meditative conversation about various ethical and theological concerns regarding the nature of God, the nature of Sin, and the nature of forgiveness. Anselm covers a wide range of themes, and helps the reader to better understand the purpose of Christ.

Personal Conclusion

Anselm's argument is refreshing because it refers directly to scripture. It is as if the author is reading deep between the lines to decipher some of the more cryptic passages of the Bible that refer to issues like sin, salvation, and forgiveness. For example, the author is concerned with the seeming contradiction between God's creation of mankind as being 'in his image," and the miserable state of mind that characterizes human life. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them," (Genesis 1:27).

For Anselm, there is no contradiction. Humanity only suffers because of sin. The original state of humanity was in fact, holy (Chapter 1, Book 2). The bible reflects this, especially throughout the New Testament. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard," (Romans 3:23).

The author has an optimistic outlook on humanity that is reflected in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus died, "of his own power," claims Anselm (Chapter 11, Book 2). In the Bible, we also read that it was God's will though Christ to die because of the debt of sin. 1 Corinthians 15:57: "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ."