Mostly written between 1070 and 1080, before he became Archbishop of Canterbury, the prayers and meditations of Anselm of Aosta created a tradition of intimate, intensely personal devotional works written in subtle and theologically daring prose. While the "Prayer to God" is based on the Lord's Prayer, the "Prayer to Christ" is inspired by ardent private emotion and other prayers invest saints with individual attributes, with John the Baptist as the friend, Peter as the shepherd and Mary Magdalene as the forgiving lover, among many others. The meditations include a searching exploration of the state of the soul and a lament on the loss of purity, and the Proslogion discusses the mysteries of faith. With their bright imagery, beautiful language and highly original thought, the works of Anselm have secured a lasting place in both religious and secular literature.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion ForewordPrefaceAbbreviationsIntroduction1. Background to the Prayers and Meditations1. The Liturgy: The Divine Office, The Kalendar and the Mass2. The "Preces Privatae"3. "Meditari aut legere"4. John of Fécamp2. The Prayers and Meditations1. The Anselmian Pattern of Prayer: "In cubiculum meum," "Excite Mentem," "Compunctio Cordis," "In Caelis"2. The Content of the Prayers3. The Prayers4. Meditations 1 and 25. Meditation on Human Redemption and Proslogion6. ConclusionNotesThe Prayers and MeditationsPrefaceLetters to the Countess Mathilda1. Prayer to God2. Prayer to Christ3. Prayer before Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ4. Prayer to Holy CrossA Letter to Gundolf5. Prayer to St. Mary (1)6. Prayer to St. Mary (2)7. Prayer to St. Mary (3)8. Prayer to St. John the Baptist9. Prayer to St. Peter10. Prayer to St. Paul11. Prayer to St. John the Evangelist (1)12. Prayer to St. John the Evangelist (2)13. Prayer to St. StephenA Letter to Prior Baldric14. Prayer to St. Nicholas15. Prayer to St. Benedict16. Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene17. Prayer by a Bishop or Abbot to the Patron Saint of his Church18. Prayer for Friends19. Prayer for EnemiesA Letter from DurandusMeditation 1Meditation 2Meditation on Human RedemptionProslogionNotesAppendix - The Development of the Prayers1. The Circulation and Influence of the Prayers2. Early Additions to the Collection: Ralph of Battle, Elmer of CanterburyNotes to the Appendix