Anselm of Canterbury and the Search for God

Reviews / Votes

Slotemaker is to be applauded for writing such a brief, accessible, but thoroughly erudite introduction to Anselm and his work. For the uninitiated, this book will prove an invaluable guide to the famed Archbishop of Canterbury, one that, while conversant with the centuries of interpretation between the contemporary reader and Anselm, has not allowed these commentaries to shape its own interpretation, letting Anselm and his irrepressible search for the one God to speak for themselves. * Angelican & Episcopal History * Anselm of Canterbury and the Search for God serves as an interesting and helpful analysis of Anselm's theology, retrieving the significance of the oft-neglected Monologion, clarifying the relation between faith, reason, logic, and Scripture in Anselm's methodology, and situating Anselm's work in a broader historical trajectory. It is readable, precise, insightful, and detailed, a work to be highly commended. * Reading Religion * Anselm advised that whoever wanted to understand his Proslogion or Cur Deus Homo should
first read his Monologion. This would also be beneficial advice for you: if you want to understand
any work of Anselm, first read John Slotemaker's present reflection on the Monologion. -- Stephen F. Brown, Boston College Slotemaker's volume is a nuanced and concise account of Anselm's theology, especially on the Trinity, and an insightful overview of the complex and controversial reception of Anselm's thought, raising provocative questions about theological method and historiography. -- Eileen Sweeney, Boston College John Slotemaker takes the reader on a detailed and engaging account of one of the most important thinkers from the Middle Ages. Opening windows onto the key aspects of Anselm's theological vision, his thought on the Trinity, the doctrine of God, Redemption and Creation, this well structured and paced study is as enjoyable as it is instructive. The emphasis on Anselm's inheritance from Augustine, as well as elucidating the long influence that Anselm's works held for Christian thinkers since the twelfth century, give a fascinating and satisfying scope to the study. Anselm's unbending desire for God is placed, by Slotemaker, in a rich and accessible context. -- Giles Gasper, Durham University, UK