The Writings of Anselm of Canterbury Characters

The Writings of Anselm of Canterbury Character List

The Narrator

Anselm is commonly understood to be the narrator of his works, which are all dialogical in nature, often following the classical format of lecturer and interlocutor. In his works, Anselm presents the learner as an exceptionally gifted and curious student.

God the Father

Anselmian logic is firmly trinitarian, meaning that although he understands God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit to each be unique as characters (not fictional characters), they constitute the same being, namely the Trinity of God. God the Father is God's character as creator and Lord of the earth. In Anselm's writings, he is the judge against whom the humans incurred a debt of wrath which God the Son, Jesus, paid in his crucifixion.

God the Son

Anselm understands Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and also one with God, and the second member of the Trinity. In Anselm's writings, Jesus voluntarily sacrificed himself to suffer the wrath of God as a propitiation for the sins of man. Anselm understands that Jesus was perfect and holy. Even though he was a man, Jesus had supernatural powers and the ability to cast out demons, perform miracles and defy the laws of physics. In response to the question, "Why would God also be human?" Anselm wrote Cur Dues Homo, which addresses that question specifically.

God the Spirit

Anselm's logical approach to religion might mean that his understanding of the Holy Spirit to be logic itself, which would be a neo-Stoic approach to Christianity. The Holy Spirit is commonly understood to be the active agent of God and the actor of his will on earth in the physical absence of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is part of the Trinity.

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