... I will examine the conflicting viewpoints on the subject, and evaluate whether Anselm's work is able to survive a contemporary theological inspection. Although he includes biblical quotations and does refer to the Holy Spirit, Anselm actually makes little reference to the Bible or even to the tradition of the Church. It is apparent that his overriding concern was to be 'agreeable to reason' (Cur Deus Homo? ii.xi). Anselm chose to present his ideas in terms of the social bonds, which held together both the monastic and the secular life of his age. In doing this he intended to make the process of atonement both vivid and convincing. But, how was he able to achieve this? Anselm sought to express the broad consensus that had arisen regarding the extent of the atonement from Augustine onwards: that in some sense Christ's work is adequate for and can be made available for all, but ...

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