Anselm
was born at Aosta in Italy in 1033. He left home after a dispute with
his father and after several years of wandering he became a monk in
Normandy.
Anselm
entered the Abbey of Bec in 1059 and replaced his mentor, Lanfranc
of Pavia,
as Prior, in 1063. Over the next few years he wrote two important
theological works, Monologion
and Proslogion. In 1078 Anselm
was elected Abbott of the Abbey of Bec.
In
1093 William
Rufus appointed
Anselm as Archbishop of Canterbury. The two men soon came into conflict.
Unlike
his father, William
the Conqueror,
Rufus was not a committed Christian. His father's policy of spending
considerable sums of money on the Church was reversed. When Rufus
needed to raise money, he raided monasteries.
Anselm
also strongly disapproved of the behaviour of some of the priests
in England. He claimed that they were spending too much time pleasing
their patrons instead of looking after the spiritual needs of the
people. Anselm created great controversy when he ordered priests,
deacons and canons to abandon their wives. He also prohibited sons
from inheriting their father's churches.
In
1096 William
Rufus
imposed
a new tax on his barons. When they complained they did not have this
money, William Rufus suggested that they should rob the shrines of
the saints. Anselm was appalled by this behaviour and in 1097 went
into exile. Anselm's estates were now seized by William Rufus. While
in Rome the Archbishop
of Canterbury finished his study of the theology of redemption,
Cur Deus Homo.
After the death of William
Rufus, his brother Henry
became king of England. In an attempt to give Henry's rule legitimacy,
Anselm was recalled to England in 1100. At first the two men worked
well together but in 1103 Anselm's insistence that papal orders must
be obeyed, led to another dispute and once again he was sent into
exile.
In 1106 Anselm returned
to England and the following year a compromise agreement was reached.
Henry accepted that the Pope in Rome would have a say in the appointment
of bishops in England. Anselm died on 21st April 1109.
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