'The manner of life of Anselm, a man beloved of God': Saint Anselm’s legacy in historical and hagiographical writing connected to Christ Church, Canterbury and the abbey of Bec c.1080- c.1140

Abstract

This thesis explores Saint Anselm’s legacy in the writing of hagiography and history by authors connected to Le Bec monastery and Christ Church, Canterbury, c.1080 -c.1140.

Anselm was a prominent monastic and ecclesiastical figure in England and Normandy. In addition, he produced a number of significant meditational and theological texts. The impact of his life and influence has previously been seen almost exclusively within the sphere of contemporary and later theological writing.

This thesis will argue that there was a circle of authors, largely connected to the Christ Church, Canterbury and Le Bec monasteries, who were actively incorporating Anselmian themes into their recording of historic and contemporary events. These incorporations generally took the form of the re-envisioning of characters in Anselm’s image and the insertion of themes from Anselm’s theological thought into the narratives of these texts. This study will examine how these authors shaped Anselm’s legacy in their texts and the degree to which these constructions were influenced by Anselm.

The conclusions of this study will highlight the potential for prominent figures to have a strong impact on the recording of contemporary and historic events in this period.