Crumbs from the Table

Anselm of Canterbury, also known as Anselm of Bec, was born in the Val D'Aosta in northern Italy in 1033. After the death of his mother, his relationship with his father was strained, and he spent many years wandering around what is now France until he settled at the abbey of Bec in Normandy, where he became a Benedictine monk at the age of 27 (1060). The monastery had only been in existence for 25 years and its original abbot, Herluin, was still there. Anselm was taught by Lanfranc (1005-1089). When Lanfranc moved on, Anselm became the main teacher at the abbey, and later, in 1078, abbot.  Anselm was involved in controversies with Gaunilo (over arguments used by Anselm in his work Proslogion), and with Roscelin (over Trinitarian heresy) The Bec monastery was in Normandy, which at the time had strong connections with England, which had been conquered by the Normans in 1066. Anselm was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. Anselm stood up for the rights of the church against t...

These are some thoughts on Athanasius' "On the Incarnation", a classic Christian text from the 300s which I am reading this advent 2025 along with some colleagues with connections to Bury.  Here are my thoughts on chapter 9 which corresponds to paragraphs 56 and 57. In the final two paragraphs of "On the incarnation", Athanasius addresses the recipient of the book, Macarius. Athanasius describes his own work as "a brief statement of the faith of Christ and of the manifestation of His Godhead to us". He goes on to encourage his reader to examine what he has read by studying the Holy Scriptures (Bible), and speaks of Christ's second appearance, namely his second coming in glory to judge the living and the dead. Athanasius instructs Macarius as to the need for "a good life and a pure soul, and for Christian virtue to guide the mind" in order to apprehend Christian truth. "... anyone who wishes to understand the mind of the sacred writer...

Here are some thoughts of mine on Athanasius' work "On the Incarnation", which I am reading for advent 2025, along with some other fellow ministers with connections to Bury. Chapter 8 of "On the Incarnation" (which corresponds to paragraphs 41 to 55) continues the theme of Gentile/Greek objections to the gospel. The main point that Athanasius makes in this chapter is the impact of the Christian faith leading to the decline of pagan practices and knowledge of various kinds. Athanasius is arguing that these constitute proof and vindication of the Incarnation of the Word. "When did people begin to abandon the worship of idols, unless it were since the very Word of God came among men?" "Again, in former times every place was full of the fraud of the oracles, and the utterances of those at Delphi and Dordona and in Boeotia and Lycia and Libya and Egypt and those of the Kabiri and the Pythoness were considered marvellous by the minds of men. But now, si...

Here are my thoughts on chapter 7 of "On the Incarnation" by fourth century church father Athanasius of Alexandria. I have been reading this work along with some brothers/colleagues during the season of advent 2025.  Chapter 7 (paragraphs 41 to 45) is responding to objections raised by "Greeks" i.e. non-Jews of the Hellenistic world of Athanasius' time.  The main focus of the chapter is engaging with the idea that the concept of the incarnation of the Word is "unfitting".  Athanasius begins by considering and dismissing the possibility that there is no Word in the first place, i.e. no governing reasonable principle underlying the universe. "If they deny that there is a Word of God at all, that will be extraordinary, for then they will be ridiculing what they do not know." Assuming then that there is a Word, Athanasius engages with the idea that it would be "unfitting" for that Word to dwell in a human being. "But if the Word of...

These are reflections on my reading during advent 2025 of a work by Athanasius of Alexandria (d. 373) entitled, "On the incarnation of the Word".  Chapter 6 specifically addresses objections to the gospel raised by Jews. Remember that Alexandria had a sizeable and longstanding Jewish population. From a post-Holocaust perspective, the church father's forthrightness can feel rather robust where we might tread more sensitively, but he is speaking in defence of the Jewish Messiah, hoping to win over God's ancient people; he is not being antisemitic. "We have dealt thus far with the Incarnation of our Saviour, and have found clear proof of the resurrection of His Body and His victory over death. Let us now go further and investigate the unbelief and the ridicule with which Jews and Gentiles respectively regard these same facts. I t seems that in both cases the points at issue are the same, namely the unfittingness or incongruity (as it seems to them) alike of the cros...

Augustine of Hippo was born in the Roman province of Africa (modern-day Tunisia/Algeria) in the year 354. His mother, Monnica, was a devout Christian, but his father Patrick only became a Christian believer at the end of his life (in 370).  Early in life, Augustine enrolled as a catechumen (preparing for Christian baptism), but did not go through with it. Aged 17, Augustine began a relationship with a slave girl and they had a child together, Adeonatus. While Augustine was later estranged from his son's mother, he and Adeonatus remained in touch with one another.  Moving to cosmopolitan Carthage for his studies, Augustine was caught up in sexual promiscuity, famously praying, "Give me continence and chastity, but not just yet." Straying from his Christian upbringing, he tried various belief systems: the teachings of Cicero, the religion of the Manichees, and later Neo-Platonism.  Augustine pursued a career in rhetoric, and accepted a position as lecturer in Milan in 384. ...

Jerome, the church father, was born in Stridon, Dalmatia (modern day Slovenia/Croatia) in 347. He studied at Rome, and was baptised in 370 (aged approx. 23).  In 372, Jerome set out on a journey through the Middle East, eventually settling in the Syrian desert in 374, where he learnt the Hebrew language - virtually no one else in the church knew Hebrew at the time.  In 379, Jerome was ordained as presbyter at Antioch, and shortly thereafter he studied theology under Gregory of Naziazus at Constantinople.  In 382, Jerome relocated from Constantinople to Rome, where bishop Damasus commissioned him to produce a new Latin translation of the Bible. This project, producing a fresh translation of the Bible into Latin from the original languages, took a whole 23 years, and what is known as the Vulgate (Jerome's translation of the Bible into Latin) was completed in 405. It is for this work of translation that Jerome is known as "patron saint of translators".  While at Rome 38...