Many Christians at that time thought philosophy as an instrument of the devil because it was a source of errors and heresies. But converted philosophers did not abandon their acquired wisdom in rational methods, and intended to use it in the service of faith.6.
Augustine, one of those converts, did not abandon whatever good that he had found in philosophy but vindicated its use for the Christian faith. Philosophy for him was not an independent discipline but a part of his search for God, and every one of its branches was made to contribute to that search7. Christian belief for Augustine does not oppose philosophy's pursuit for truth. He argues that faith can be fostered by philosophy. Christian philosophers should begin by believing what Christianity professes and seek to acquire understanding of what they believe. .
God's Existence.
Religions, most especially Christianity, had a big influence in the thinking of these new thinkers. Augustine, Anselm and Clement of Alexandria were among those who taught philosophy and secular knowledge as handmaids of theology8. Most of these thinkers would always refer to the Sacred Scripture, as Prophet Isaiah says: "Except ye believe, neither shall ye understand." These thinkers taught that reason is not enough to give us a proper religious knowledge; instead, we have to rely on faith to set us in the right direction. In believing we learn to understand the foundations of our faith through reason.
Anselm was influenced by Augustine's view of the relationship of faith and reason: thus his formula credo ut intelligam (faith seeking understanding): "O Lord, I do not attempt to gain access to Your loftiness, because I do not at all consider my intellect to be equal to this task. But I yearn to understand some measure of Your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand.