Anselm of Laon

ANSELM OF LAON (Lat. Laudunensis; called also Scholasticus): Archdeacon of Laon; b. at Laon about the middle of the eleventh century; d. there July 15, 1117. He enjoyed the instruction of Anselm of Canterbury at Bec, and from 1076 was teacher of scholastic theology at Paris, where he gathered around him a number of prominent pupils. With the most notable of them, the genial William of Champeaux, he laid the foundation of the later University of Paris. Toward 191 the end of the century he became archdeacon and cathedral scholasticus in his native city. His reputation as the foremost Biblical exegete made the school renowned and induced young Abelard to attend his lectures. His influence on posterity was mainly due to his Glossa interlinearis, a paraphrastic commentary on the Vulgate, which far surpassed the popular Glossa ordinaria of Walafrid Strabo, but was not able to displace entirely this older work. He also wrote exegetical notes on the Song of Songs, Matthew, and Revelation.

O. Zöckler†.

Bibliography: Anselm’s works are in MPL, clxii. (includes an interesting letter on the problem of evil, Num Deus vult malum?). A number of previously unprinted sentences were published by G. Lefèvre in Anselmi Laudunensis et Radulfi fratris ejus sententiæ, Evreux, 1894. Consult Histoire littéraire de la France, x. 182 sqq.; P. Feret, La Faculté de théologie de Paris, i. 25-33, Paris, 1894; H. Hurter, Theologia catholica tempore medii ævi, pp. 17-18, Innsbruck, 1899.