ANSELM OF CANTERBURY:
Christian biographies for young readers
By Simonetta Carr
Reformation Heritage Books. 64 pages. £11.00
ISBN 978 1 601 782 410
This is a beautifully produced book in a series that seeks to teach children the history of the spread of the Christian faith. As it deals with a man who lived almost 1,000 years ago, there are difficult concepts to be grasped.
The situation for Christians then was very different from today, especially with regard to the established church in England, the power of the monarchy and the authority of the Pope. Some further adult help might be needed to help a youngster grasp these issues.
Starting with Anselm’s life story, the text is clear and straightforward, but occasionally rather stilted. It is greatly enhanced by some beautiful illustrations, maps and photographs of actual documents and relevant places, which help to put the subject into our context. Later on there is a section called ‘Did you know?’ which could be usefully used to set this history of our early archbishop into the context of school history lessons. Finally, there are some recorded words of Anselm himself, which serve to show the depth of his understanding of the Christian faith.
While this is a lovely book to look through and handle, perhaps its great worth would be within a study group where Anselm’s life and teachings could be discussed with the help of an adult.
