Saint Anselm's Fides Quaerens Intellectum as a Model for Christian Philosophy

The paper discusses Anselm's thought as Christian philosophy in light of positions developed during the 1930s French debates about Christian philosophy, specifically the complementary positions of Etienne Gilson and Jacques Maritain. I argue that, understood by reference to the frameworks of Gilson's early (1931-33) position and Maritain's position, Anselm's thought would not only be a Christian philosophy but also a model of Christian philosophy. Gilson's later (1934-37) position, however, held that Anselm's thought should not be considered to be Christian philosophy. I argue that his later position has several weaknesses, and that his first position provides the more adequate assessment of Anselm..