1077–1078

Anselm of Canterbury: "I Believe in Order to Understand" – Faith Seeking Understanding

Lane describes the 11th-century transition from monastic theology, in which knowledge served edification and worship, to scholasticism, which studied theology as an objective discipline. Anselm, the first great theologian of the medieval West, gave philosophy a significant but limited role: revelation supplies the content of faith, and reason helps to understand what is believed and to show the rationality and coherence of doctrine. The Proslogion was originally called "Faith Seeking Understanding": "I believe in order to understand." According to González, Anselm solved a problem not by appeal to authority but by reason, starting from the opponent's premises, yet always remained a believer.