The Proslogion by St. Anselm
From The Classical Mind by Jared Henderson & Wesley Walker
October 28, 2025 · 1h 10m
About this episode
The episode explores St. Anselm's Proslogion and its significance in philosophy and theology, particularly the ontological argument for God's existence.
In this episode, Father Wesley and Dr. Junius dive deep into St. Anselm’s Proslogion , the short yet monumental work that introduced one of the most enduring and debated arguments in the history of philosophy and theology: the ontological argument for God’s existence. The hosts explore Anselm’s background as monk, abbot, and Archbishop of Canterbury, highlighting his tumultuous life amid royal and papal conflict, his intellectual lineage from Augustine and Boethius, and his place at the dawn of scholasticism. They also reflect on how his prayerful approach to theology— fides quaerens intellectum (“faith seeking understanding”)—blurs the line between philosophical proof and devotional meditation. Endnotes * Junius: The Prayers and Meditations of St. Anselm * Wesley: * “A Gift Exceeding Every Debt” by David Bentley Hart * “Anselmian Apocatastasis: The Fitting Necessity of Universal Salvation in St Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo” by Roberto J. De La Noval This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theclassicalmind.com/subscribe
People in this episode
Hosts: Father Wesley, Dr. Junius
Topics covered
- ontological argument
- theology
- philosophy
- scholasticism
- St. Anselm
- faith and understanding
Keywords
- St. Anselm
- Proslogion
- ontological argument
- theology
- philosophy
- scholasticism
- faith seeking understanding
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Proslogion, The Prayers and Meditations of St. Anselm, A Gift Exceeding Every Debt, Anselmian Apocatastasis: The Fitting Necessity of Universal Salvation in St Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo
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