medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I'm also interested in the Anselmian argument and the
context of monastic spirituality.
Most things written on Anselm's Proslogion
unfortunately concern chapters 2-4 in isolation (and
completely out of context). Personally I don't think
these chapters or indeed chapters 14-16 can be
understood without reading the prayer as a whole, or
without taking into account the ends for which the
work was written.
By chapters 14-16 one realizes that the Proslogion is
a circular prayer. Whatever the point of the work, it
is certainly not to prove to some unbeliever that God
exists (why try to do *that* in the context of a
prayer?) but more nearly an attempt to find God in
light inaccessible. The prayer represents a quest for
the 'face' of God but at no point does the prayer
present a vision of God's face (as at least one
commentator has argued). Instead the prayer leads the
devotee to a greater awareness of the face of God
within the soul itself. As more is understood about
God, so the image of God (in the understanding, memory
and will) is renewed. At chapters 14-16 the soul
comes to understand why God dwells in light
inaccessible the place from which it started in
chapter 1: God is not only that than which no greater
can be thought, but also greater than can be
thought. The soul can know that God truly is, but
can only approximately understand what that means.
May I recommend a couple of articles on the
Proslogion?
Anton C. Pegis published a superb article on Anselm's
Proslogion in Medieval Studies, 28 (1966), 228-267:'St
Anselm and the argument of the Proslogion'.
John P. Clayton, 'The Otherness of Anselm', in Neue
Zeitschrift Fur Systeatische Theologie und
Religionsphilosophie, 37(1995), pp. 125-143, is very
readable, and very insightful.
(May I also say that I published a reception history
of the Proslogion, as it passed from the private
devotional context of the
eleventh-century monastery of Bec to the public,
adversarial contexts of the universities? I'd be
happy to pass on details of this -- or even a copy of
an earlier article version if requested).
Scott Matthews
--- Marjorie Greene <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religion and culture
>
> If anyone replies to this message, please do so
> on-list as I also am interested in responses.
> MG
> --- "[log in to unmask]"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> > bzb*'Ihجr,
> v'jZޖ("vu˥I'm
> > searching books or internet resources (in italian,
> > in english and
> > french language also)for a researche about
> psicology
> > and spirituality
> > in middle Age, specially about monastic culture
> and
> > theology, for an
> > article about "Proslogion", cc. 14-16.
> > If someone in the list knows "Proslogion" and S.
> > Anselmo, please send
> > me a message, also off line of list. Thank you.
> > Claudio Attardi
> > www.medio-evo.org
> > mail [log in to unmask]
> > N {azXǧv^,j )y؞kzX 9DM
> ޮ+ gږ -+ iˤ ߺaz~ jب
> . +^i08rf.b?bzb*'٥
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
> http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
>
**********************************************************************
> To join the list, send the message: join
> medieval-religion YOUR NAME
> to: [log in to unmask]
> To send a message to the list, address it to:
> [log in to unmask]
> To leave the list, send the message: leave
> medieval-religion
> to: [log in to unmask]
> In order to report problems or to contact the list's
> owners, write to:
> [log in to unmask]
> For further information, visit our web site:
>
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page
from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|