Political activity of Anselm of Canterbury

The thesis aims to describe Anselm's years as prior and abbot and his archiepiscopal career. Analyzing the years spent in the Norman monastery of Bec as a missionary and teacher in its school, the thesis notes the amount of knowledge and experiences which prepared Anselm for his archiepiscopal career. His intellectual qualities and theories are examined as well as some of his highly influential theological texts. Anselm also strove to spread the reforms of his teacher and mentor at Bec and his predecessor at Canterbury, Archbishop Lanfranc. Anselm's following archiepiscopal career spanned the reigns of two kings: William Rufus and Henry I. The study proves that the policies and attitudes of both rulers were quite different. Under the reign of William Rufus, Anselm tried to bring his ideal theoretical state of things into actuality, but the king resisted everything he attempted to do. With his death, Anselm's position changed rapidly and dramatically. Henry, on the other hand, excelled in the ability to work out a compromise. In the end, Anselm's archiepiscopal career concluded with cooperation between king and archbishop