--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Therefore Lord, not only are you that…" description: "\"Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.\" — Anselm of Cante..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png" --- # Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater… ![“Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.” quote by Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png) > “Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.” [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anselm argues that God is not only beyond all thought but also exceeds any concept we can imagine. **In simple terms:** God surpasses all human understanding. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of human reasoning about the divine. Themes theology philosophy ontology Mood contemplative inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - religious study - philosophical debate - personal faith exploration Key Concepts existence infinite transcendence Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your concept of divinity? - Can we truly comprehend something beyond thought? A Different Perspective Some argue this reasoning assumes a specific definition of “greater.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) ## Related quotes > [...to many it is not knowledge but the quest for knowledge that gives greater interest to thought-to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jeans/to-many-it-is-not-knowledge-but-the-quest-for-knowledge-that-gives/) [James Jeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jeans/) > [The Lord is greater than all: I have said enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-patrick/the-lord-is-greater-than-all-i-have-said-enough/) [Saint Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-patrick/) > [A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/a-minute-of-thought-is-greater-than-an-hour-of-talk/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [No thought can be greater than the mind that created the the thought. God is merely a thought, which makes the mind greater than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hamilton/no-thought-can-be-greater-than-the-mind-that-created-the-the-thought/) Christopher Hamilton > [“The slave is doomed to worship Time and Fate and Death, because they are greater than anything he finds in himself, and because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-slave-is-doomed-to-worship-time-and-fate-and-death-because-they/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I've learned that my message is so much greater than I ever thought it was going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-pearce/i-ve-learned-that-my-message-is-so-much-greater-than-i-ever-thought/) [Carly Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-pearce/) > [Nothing was ever in any man that is not in you; no man ever had more spiritual or mental power than you can attain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/nothing-was-ever-in-any-man-that-is-not-in-you-no-man-ever-had-more/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Our Lord reserved to Himself certain things which He would do in due time in a manner outside the course and order of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/our-lord-reserved-to-himself-certain-things-which-he-would-do-in-due/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The Rosary, especially prayed in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, is a powerful means of spiritual grace. In all of our efforts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-vose-daily/the-rosary-especially-prayed-in-the-presence-of-the-blessed-sacrament/) Thomas Vose Daily > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [When you stop a dictator, there are always risks. But there are greater risks in not stopping a dictator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-you-stop-a-dictator-there-are-always-risks-but-there-are-greater/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) ## More by Anselm of Canterbury > [Let no worldly prosperity divert you, nor any worldly adversity restrain you from His praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/let-no-worldly-prosperity-divert-you-nor-any-worldly-adversity/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Remove grace, and you have nothing whereby to be saved. Remove free will and you have nothing that could be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/remove-grace-and-you-have-nothing-whereby-to-be-saved-remove-free/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Thus you are just not because you give what is owed, but because you do what is appropriate to you as the highest good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/thus-you-are-just-not-because-you-give-what-is-owed-but-because-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [It is impossible to save one's soul without devotion to Mary and without her protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/it-is-impossible-to-save-one-s-soul-without-devotion-to-mary-and/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [If it can be conceived at all - it must exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/if-it-can-be-conceived-at-all-it-must-exist/) [Anselm Of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [A Prayer of Anselm My God, I pray that I may so know you and love you that I may rejoice in you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/a-prayer-of-anselm-my-god-i-pray-that-i-may-so-know-you-and-love-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God often works more by the life of the illiterate seeking the things that are God's, than by the ability of the learned seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-often-works-more-by-the-life-of-the-illiterate-seeking-the-things/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God does not delay to hear our prayers because He has no mind to give; but that, by enlarging our desires, He may give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-does-not-delay-to-hear-our-prayers-because-he-has-no-mind-to-give/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God hath promised pardon to him that repenteth, but he hath not promised repentance to him that sinneth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-hath-promised-pardon-to-him-that-repenteth-but-he-hath-not/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [ And indeed we believe you \[God\] to be something than which a greater cannot be conceived. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/and-indeed-we-believe-you-god-to-be-something-than-which-a-greater/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Disasters teach us humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/disasters-teach-us-humility/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [I believe in order that I may understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Therefore Lord God, you are more truly omnipotent, because you have no power through impotence and nothing can be against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-god-you-are-more-truly-omnipotent-because-you-have-no/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/for-i-do-not-seek-to-understand-in-order-to-believe-but-i-believe-in/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [O supreme and unapproachable light! O whole and blessed truth, how far art thou from me, who am so near to thee! How far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/o-supreme-and-unapproachable-light-o-whole-and-blessed-truth-how-far/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) [Explore all 26 Anselm of Canterbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anselm of Canterbury" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_god_therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-tha_628000.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something…” — Anselm of Canterbury", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anselm of Canterbury", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Therefore Lord, not only are you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```