R. W. Southern (1) (1912–2001)
Author of Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages
For other authors named R. W. Southern, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
R. W. Southern was a Fellow of Balliol College from 1937 to 1961, Chichele Professor of History at Oxford from 1961 to 1969, and President of St. John's College, Oxford from 1969 to 1981.
Image credit: Royal Historical Society
Series
Works by R. W. Southern
Associated Works
Prayers and Meditations of St. Anselm with the Proslogion (Penguin Classics) (1979) — Foreword, some editions — 433 copies, 1 review
The Story of the Middle Ages Box Set : The Making of the Middle Ages ; The Birth of the Middle Ages ; The Crucible of… (1998) — Contributor — 166 copies
The Art of Warfare in Western Europe during the Middle Age: from the Eighth Century to 1340 (1977) — Translator, some editions — 63 copies
History Vol. L No. 169 June 1965 (The Journal of the Historical Association) (1965) — Contributor — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Southern, R. W.
- Legal name
- Southern, Richard William
- Birthdate
- 1912-02-08
- Date of death
- 2001-02-06
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK
- Place of death
- Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Paris, France
Münich, Germany - Education
- Balliol College, Oxford University (BA|1932|history)
- Occupations
- historian
British Army Officer (WWII)
Professor - Organizations
- Oxford University (Exeter College)
Oxford University (Balliol College)
Oxford University (President, St. John's College)
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
Royal Armoured Corps (show all 7)
Foreign Office - Awards and honors
- Knight (1974)
International Balzan Prize (1987)
Fellow, British Academy (1960)
Fellow, Royal Society of Literature
International Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1972)
Alexander Prize (1933) (show all 10)
Corresponding Fellow, Medieval Academy of America (1965)
Fellow, Royal Historical Society (president 1968-72)
Royal Society of Literature Prize (1970)
Monumenta Germaniae Historica (1982)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 17
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 2,833
- Popularity
- #9,053
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 17
- ISBNs
- 43
- Languages
- 6
- Favorited
- 2
I’ve rendered these arguments in the form in which they are usually cited today, often in a condescending tone of voice, dripping with pity for this old archbishop’s naive medieval mind.
It was then a surprise to read this book, ostensibly a biography, but also a learned discussion of the thought of this philosopher and theologian, and find not only that Anselm's reasoning was more sophisticated than the form in which it is now known, but also that he anticipated many of the objections to his positions, and gave well-reasoned answers to them. With regard to the ontological argument, Southern points out: “It is a simplification to say that [it] aimed at proving the existence of God. What he sought to prove is that justice, goodness, and truth are necessarily united in a single Being, who by definition is God. And since justice, goodness, and truth exist, God cannot not exist” (p. 117)
The book is very much a “life and times”, filling in the background modern readers need to understand both Anselm’s actions and thought. He is repeatedly compared and contrasted with his mentor and predecessor, Lanfranc. His mysticism, his assiduous promotion of education and monastic life are explored, as well as his reflection on the nature of friendship, something he not only thought about, but practiced to an avid degree.
Why should we be interested in a monk who has been dead for 900 years? As Southern points out: “It can scarcely be too strongly emphasized that the span of Anselm’s life covered one of the most momentous periods of change in European history, comparable to the centuries of the Reformation or the Industrial Revolution. It is only against this background that his own balancing of the old and new, his mixture of political conservatism and intellectual and spiritual innovation can be justly measured” (pp. 3–4). The author goes so far as to place Anselm together with Gregory VII and William the Conqueror as the three greatest Europeans of the period. The achievement of this scholarly yet readable study is that this reader came away convinced of the justice of this daring claim.
Usually when I rate a book with five stars, I mean it to indicate that anyone interested in books should read it. That may be going a bit far for a book that might appeal to a limited range of readers, but it is so good that I find it impossible to award fewer than five stars.… (more)