Anselm of Canterbury

Philosophers perhaps think of Anselm primarily as the author of the ontological argument for the existence of God. But he also authored a number of other arguments for the existence of God, based on cosmological and teleological grounds.

Western theologians regard Anselm as important because he originated the idea of substitutionary atonement in his work, Cur Deus Homo? ("Why the God-Man?"). Anselm argues that man's sin offends God's righteousness, and that God cannot save man so long as His righteousness is unsatisfied. Since all men are sinful, no man can satisfy God; consequently, God sent Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection satisfied God's righteousness and allowed for the salvation of man. In this way Anselm established one of the most prominent atonement theories in the history of western theology.

Table of contents

1 Major Works 2 Other dialogs 3 External link

Major Works

St. Anselm at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library: http://www.ccel.org/a/anselm/