He was born in Aosta (Piedmont). A Benedictine monk and abbot of Bec in Normandy, he distinguished himself as a preacher and reformer of monastic life. Elevated to the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of England, his stance in favor of the Church’s freedom brought him into conflict with Kings William II and Henry I. They opposed the implementation of the reforms proposed by the saint, forcing him to endure two exiles. He died in Canterbury on April 21, 1109, and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Clement XI in 1720.
Influenced by Neoplatonism through Augustine and by Aristotelianism through Boethius, Anselm represents the beginnings of the rationalizing theology of the High Middle Ages, with an apologetic intent but a tendency toward contemplation. He is one of the most representative figures of medieval theology and perhaps the most important theologian of the Western monastic tradition.
