Anselm of Canterbury
From Conservapedia
Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) (also know as St. Anselm of Aosta and St. Anselm of Bec), born in northern Italy, was an early intellectual giant of scholasticism. The period from the late 1000s to about 1300 is known as the "High Middle Ages," partly due to this intellectual activity and also due to great population growth.
Scholasticism strengthened understanding of Christian doctrine through careful definition and systematic argument. St. Anselm preferred to defend Christianity through use of strong logical arguments, rather than relying solely on scripture. St. Anselm is famous for the first formal presentation of the ontological argument, which was a highly influential proof of the existence of God based on definition of God.
St. Anselm was a Latin scholar who became a Benedictine monk, much to the disappointment of his father, who wanted him to enter politics. In this way his early life is remarkably similar to that of Aquinas.
St. Anselm also presented an argument for why Jesus Christ must have existed. Under the feudal system of Anselm’s day, the severity of a crime and amount of satisfaction required of the offender varied depending on the status of the victim. Someone who committed a crime against the king would deserve a far more severe punishment than someone who committed a crime against a peasant. St. Anselm wrote a treatise entitled "Cur Deus homo?" ("Why Did God Become Man?"), in which he argued that 'finite' man could never satisfy a crime or sin against the 'infinite' God. Only an 'infinite' man could provide full satisfaction because the victim of the crime or sin was the 'infinite' God. Hence, assuming the universal validity of feudal system, and assuming the existence of an ontological system to enforce this feudal system on Man, an 'infinite' man is essential. Anselm argued that this man was Jesus Christ.
St. Anselm was appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury, England, which he accepted reluctantly. He became determined to reform the English Catholic Church and he fought against efforts by the King of England to control or interfere with the Church. At one point Anselm presented his grievances against King William to Pope Urban II. These conflicts were precursors to a huge dispute between a pope and English king centuries later, which caused the king to form his own church and split from Roman authority.
