Why ‘Anselmic’ ?

There are a number of reasons…

Firstly, the name Anselmic is somewhat arbitary. When I started to comment on other peoples Blogs I decided to use a ‘Web name’ as opposed to my ‘real one’ – scared of cyberstalkers I guess. The more I commented, the more of an online identity I created. And now I have site of my own it seemed right to stick with ‘Anselmic’.

Secondly, there was some rationale behind the choice in the first same. It’s Anselmic in the sense of ‘after Anselm’. Born in 1033 in Italy, Anselm entered the cloister at 26, and before long was made Prior of his monastery. Then he became an Abbot, then Archbishop of Canterbury. A man of conviction he clashed repeatedly with the Kings of England over the independence of the Church. A scholar and philosopher he was a truly great theologian. And it was in reading some of his work whilst preparing for ordination that something in my understaning of the cross of Christ finally ‘clicked’, and I realised again ‘Why God became Man’

‘the heart of the matter is this: why did God become man, in order to save man by his`death, if he could have done it some other way?..

mankind had to be restored, and this could not take place without man paying the debt which he owed God for his sin. And this debt was so great that, while it was man alone who owed it, none but God was able to pay it. So he who paid it had to be both God and man.

Cur Deus Homo (Why God became Man 2:18)

Thirdly, he wrote great prayers, something I struggle with.

I do desire to understand a little of your truth which my heart already belives and loves. I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand;

and what is more,

I believe that unless I do believe I shall not understand.