why god became man · anselm

Anselm of Canterbury's Cur Deus Homo, finished in 1098, argues by reason alone that the incarnation was necessary: sin dishonours God infinitely, only a man ought to make satisfaction and only God can, so a God-man must. It is the classic statement of the satisfaction theory of atonement and a model of faith seeking understanding.

Anselm, Why God Became Man, in Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works, edited by Brian Davies and G. R. Evans (Oxford University Press, 1998). Read in Sophomore Fall at Torrey Honors.