Anselm of Canterbury is often called the first of the scholastics in the Middle Ages. One of the church’s greatest theological minds, Anselm is well-known for that mantra, Credo ut intelligam—I believe so that I may understand, a phrase championed by Augustine before him and perfected by Thomas Aquinas after him.
Like Augustine and Aquinas, Anselm embodies faith seeking understanding. Anselm models the scholastic synthesis between faith and reason which makes Christianity so compelling.
Anselm is also the patron saint of Anselm House because he exemplifies the contemplative life, as demonstrated in works like his Proslogion and Cur Deus Homo. You can read more about Anselm here and why he is called the Lion of Canterbury.
With Anselm, we believe theology is a science (organized knowledge) that brings us into closer communion with God, making theology a spiritual exercise.
What is Anselm House?
In Psalm 27 David desires one thing most of all, “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” (27:4). Here is the essence of classical theology: contemplating God. Like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, the telos of the Christian life is to see God (the beatific vision). Here is where happiness is found.
Anselm House is a school of theology where we contemplate God with the Great Tradition around a common rule of life (the Book of Common Prayer) and a common table that cultivates virtue (the good life). With the tools of faith and reason, Anselm House is built on First Principles that can bring goodness, truth, and beauty back to our secular age.
Anselm Fellows in residency
Anselm House is made up of Fellows in residency who follow a “rule of life” together. They will meet every other week in Matthew Barrett’s home for evening prayer, a meal together for virtue formation, and Socratic dialogue around the classical texts they have been reading on their own. They will be active at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church on Sunday, as well as morning prayer at least once a week to integrate theology and spirituality according to the Book of Common Prayer.
Applications due by January 2.
Rule of Life
Contemplation
Like David in Psalm 27, Anselm Fellows will devote themselves to gazing at the beauty of our Lord. During their residency, they will contemplate the God of the scriptures, but they will do with the wisdom of the Great Tradition. Rather than doing so alone, their contemplation will occur in community to learn from one another, guided by Matthew Barrett, their theologian-in-residence.
Book of Common Prayer
In the Great Tradition, classical theology was a spiritual exercise. For example, Augustine wrote his Confessions in the form of a prayer and Anselm, the first of the scholastics, wrote his Proslogion in the form of a prayer as well. To that end, Anselm Fellows will devote themselves to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in the following ways:
- Morning & Evening Prayer: each day they are encouraged to say morning and evening prayer on their own and they will attend morning prayer at least once a week at St. Aidan’s.
- The Daily Office: Fellows are expected to complete each day’s scripture readings in the Daily Office.
- Church calendar: They will pray in rhythm with the liturgical church calendar. For example, during Lent the Fellows will fast and during Eastertide they will feast.
- Worship at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church: Fellows will worship on Sunday mornings at St. Aidan’s where they can see classical theology put to practice in the liturgical life of an Anglican church. One does not have to be Anglican to be a Fellow, but each Fellow will worship with St. Aidan’s for their residency.
The Good Life Together
Twice a month the Fellows will gather at Matthew Barrett’s home where they will:
- Say evening prayer together.
- Eat a meal together that cultivates friendship around virtue. As Aristotle said, “Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alive in virtue.”
- Engage in Socratic dialogue over the classical texts they have been reading that month.
Why is Anselm House unique?
Anselm House is defined by three emphases:
Classical
In many institutions today, students are not taught classical theology but modern theology, resulting in a suspicion towards the Great Tradition and its orthodoxy. Anselm House breaks rank by retrieving the Great Tradition for the sake of renewing classical theology today. Anselm House is “catholic” because it situates itself in the church “universal” and is committed to its ecumenical creeds. Anselm House is also “reformed” in the way it understands the Reformation, namely, as a renewal of the one holy catholic and apostolic church. It pays special attention to the classical Anglican heritage and its Formularies. In that way, Anselm House is defined by a reformed catholicity.
Thomistic
In our modern age, faith and reason are often divorced from one another. But Anselm House synthesizes faith and reason, convinced the two live in harmony with each other. In this way, Anselm Fellows explore that classical metaphysic which supports the orthodox understanding of God and creation as represented at first by the Fathers but especially as refined by Thomas Aquinas. Thomas has been called a common doctor of the church due in part to the theological and philosophical profundity of his writings. We are committed to his First Principles, and we seek to apply them to the metaphysical challenges of our secular age. We embody the Thomistic way of doing theology and philosophy. Fellows will also consider how the Protestant Scholastics were heirs of this heritage, paying special attention to Anglican divines. In our secular age, Anselm Fellows will be equipped to give an answer for their faith.
Anglican
In contrast to the desacramentalization of the church which has characterized so much of modern evangelicalism, Anselm House celebrates the sacramental theology of the church. This sacramental theology has historically infused the liturgy of the church across the Great Tradition, reaching a pinnacle in the Book of Common Prayer. Anselm House also embodies the reformed catholicity of the Thirty-nine articles, and its Fellows sit at the feet of theologians like Thomas Cranmer and Richard Hooker. Furthermore, Anselm House takes every opportunity to marvel at beauty, both in creation and in the church. But most of all, it is a place to stand in wonder at the beauty of our Lord. Aesthetics, therefore, play a significant role at Anselm House, from feasting together at the table to participating in the liturgy at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church to reflecting on art at the Nelson Atkins Museum.
Degree from Trinity Anglican Seminary
Anselm Fellows do not have to be enrolled at Trinity Anglican Seminary to be a Fellow at Anselm House. However, if they are enrolled, then their participation in Anselm House counts towards their degree. Up to 49% of their course credits for their Trinity degree can be secured through Anselm House. For example, an Anselm Fellow can receive up to 18 credits per year at Anselm House towards his or her Trinity degree. Each Fellow can renew their fellowship and receive additional credits. Curriculum at Anselm House will change each year.
If you want to pursue ordination one day, become an Anselm Fellow and we will prepare you.
The deadline to apply for Trinity Anglican Seminary is December 1, 2025.
What will Anselm Fellows read in 2026?
While many institutions occupy students with contemporary books, Anselm House follows the wisdom of C.S. Lewis and reads the old books first. Rather than reading across the surface of the Great Tradition, each year Fellows will immerse themselves in the deep waters of a few theologians that they can return to the rest of their lives. Note: reading will fluctuate from year to year to focus on different contributions in the Great Tradition. Each year’s curriculum will be unique, allowing participants to renew their fellowship from year to year.
Who should apply to be an Anselm Fellow?
Applicants can be male or female. We welcome a variety of ages, from young to seasoned, allowing each participant to learn from one another’s experience.
If you are asking yourself any of these questions below, then you are a fit for Anselm House:
- Do you want a seminary degree?
- Do you want your seminary experience to be rooted in the liturgy of a church?
- Do you want to be ordained in the Anglican Church but desire training first?
- Are you in ministry but desire a sabbatical?
- Do you desire more personal training from a theologian?
- Are you a lay person who desires to grow theologically and spiritually?
Anselm Fellows must live in or near Kansas City (or be willing to travel to KC) for the residency. A Fellow does not have to be Anglican, but Anselm House will celebrate classical Anglican theology and spirituality according to the Book of Common Prayer and Thirty-nine articles.
Application
Applications due by January 2, 2026.
Complete the Anselm House Application and email to matthew@staidanskc.org.