I Believe In Order To Understand

Here is a worthy quote from Anselm of Canterbury, who was a very influential and brilliant medieval theologian. He was most famous for his long essays Monologian and Prosologian. The following is from the latter (Anselm of Canterbury The Major Works, p.87):

"I acknowledge, Lord, and I give thanks that You have created Your image in me, so that I may remember You, think of You, love You. But this image is so effaced and worn away by vice, so darkened by the smoke of sin, that it cannot do what it was made to do unless You renew it and reform it. I do not try, Lord, to attain Your lofty heights, because my undertanding is in no way equal to it. But I do desire to understand Your truth a little, that truth that my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand so that I may believe; but I believe so that I may understand. For I believe this also, that 'unless I believe, I shall not understand [Isa.7:9]" (Emphasis Added).

Is Anselm correct? I certainly think so (see Matthew 16:17)!