“I am not able to understand your mystery by reasoning alone, but I desire to understand it, and I desire to love it.”
— Anselm of Canterbury[commonly attributed] Commonly cited sentiment from Anselm's prayers and letters; wording a summary, not a verified line
Commentary
This sentiment, which summarises a recurring idea in Anselm's prayers, expresses the limit of reason before the mystery of God alongside the desire to comprehend and to love. It is closely related to the formula of faith seeking understanding, and it shows that Anselm's rationalism always served devotion. R. W. Southern's biography (1990) describes the spiritual life at Bec as one in which study and prayer were inseparable. Jasper Hopkins's companion (1972) notes the frequency with which Anselm acknowledged the inadequacy of human words before divine truth. Brian Davies and Gillian Evans's introduction (1998) connects this humility with the monastic ideal of contemplation. The sentence is a summary and should not be taken as a direct citation from a specific chapter.
Commentary
This sentiment, which summarises a recurring idea in Anselm's prayers, expresses the limit of reason before the mystery of God alongside the desire to comprehend and to love. It is closely related to the formula of faith seeking understanding, and it shows that Anselm's rationalism always served devotion. R. W. Southern's biography (1990) describes the spiritual life at Bec as one in which study and prayer were inseparable. Jasper Hopkins's companion (1972) notes the frequency with which Anselm acknowledged the inadequacy of human words before divine truth. Brian Davies and Gillian Evans's introduction (1998) connects this humility with the monastic ideal of contemplation. The sentence is a summary and should not be taken as a direct citation from a specific chapter.