Christian Platonism, Transvalued: Rethinking Anselm's Formula

Goodchild, Philip

Abstract

Anselm's Proslogion developed its famous argument through meditation on a single formula: 'Now we believe that You are something than which nothing greater can be thought.' This article aims to re-enact such a meditation under changed conditions, bringing out a different sense of metaphysical dependence. That which cannot be thought without existing can now be located in (a) what really matters, (b) what is truly sincere, and (c) what is ultimately trustworthy. Once conceived as metaphysical problems, these offer a fresh route into comprehending a metaphysical God who truly exists: a Christian Platonism, transvalued. The purpose of this article is introductory: to offer a route into this renewed way of thinking, rather than a comprehensive elaboration or a scholarly assessment of Anselm.

Citation

Goodchild, P. (2024). Christian Platonism, Transvalued: Rethinking Anselm's Formula. The Heythrop Journal, https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.14384

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 21, 2024
• Publication Date: Nov 21, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 25, 2024
• Journal: The Heythrop Journal
• Print ISSN: 0018-1196
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2265
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.14384
• Keywords: Anselm; ontological argument; Christian Platonism; metaphysics; transvaluation
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/42201934
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/heyj.14384
• Additional Information: Received: 2024-02-23; Accepted: 2024-10-29; Published: 2024-11-21