Anselm of Laon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anselm of Laon
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| Born | c. 1050 |
| Died | 15 July 1117 |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Scholasticism |
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Anselm of Laon (died 1117) was a French theologian and a very important teacher. He started a school that helped create new ways to understand the Bible. His full name was Anselm, but he is often called Anselm of Laon because he was from the city of Laon.
Anselm of Laon's Life
Anselm was born in a town called Laon in France around the year 1050. His family was not rich. Some people thought he studied with Anselm of Canterbury, another famous thinker, but this is probably not true. He might have learned from teachers like Bruno of Cologne.
Around 1080, Anselm moved back to Laon. He started teaching at the cathedral school there with his brother Ralph. A cathedral school was a school connected to a large church.
Anselm became a leader at the cathedral. Around 1109, he was made a dean and chancellor. These were important jobs in the church and school. By 1115, he was one of Laon's two archdeacons.
His school quickly became famous across Europe for teaching theology and exegesis. Exegesis means carefully explaining parts of the Bible. In 1113, he even sent away a well-known student named Peter Abelard from his school.
Anselm's Important Works
Anselm's most famous work is called the Glossa ordinaria. This was a huge project that involved writing notes and explanations between the lines and in the margins of the Bible. It was a major achievement of the Middle Ages.
The Glossa ordinaria was likely put together by Anselm's students after he died. It was based on his teachings. This work was very important because it changed how people learned. It was one of the first times that different interpretations of Bible verses were collected in one easy-to-find place.
This new way of organizing knowledge was later used and expanded by other famous thinkers like Hugh of Saint Victor, Peter Lombard, and Thomas Aquinas. They created "handbooks" that helped people study theology in a more organized way.
Some other writings that were thought to be by Anselm of Canterbury are now believed to be by Anselm of Laon.
See also
In Spanish: Anselmo de Laon para niños
