Anselm of Aosta wrote the majority of his Prayers and Meditations between 1070 and 1080 and created a tradition of intimate, intensely personal prayer that drastically altered the Christian attitude to private devotion. Anselm's ardor, literary brilliance, and scrupulous theology have secured him admiration. And, as Archbishop of Canterbury, his tussle with the early Norman kings earned him a place in secular history as well.

Anselm of Aosta wrote the majority of his Prayers and Meditations between 1070 and 1080 and created a tradition of intimate, intensely personal prayer that drastically altered the Christian attitude to private devotion. Anselm's ardor, literary brilliance, and scrupulous theology have secured him admiration. And, as Archbishop of Canterbury, his tussle with the early Norman kings earned him a place in secular history as well.