Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus: Facts

These ten key facts about Desiderius Erasmus give a brief overview of the life of this outstanding humanist scholar.

1. Desiderius Erasmus was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in 1466.
2. Erasmus' father was a priest, so Desiderius Erasmus was born outside of wedlock.
3. The young boy Erasmus received a good education in several monastic schools. Here he learnt Greek.
4. Desiderius Erasmus was ordained a priest in the Catholic Church in 1487.
5. In 1495, the Church gave Erasmus permission to study at the University of Paris.
6. In 1499, Erasmus was invited to England and ended up teaching at both Oxford and Cambridge universities for a while. However, he turned down the opportunity to become a permanent professor at Cambridge, preferring to stay an independent scholar who travelled around Europe.
7. He spent time in Italy, graduating from the University of Turin as a Doctor of Divinity in 1506.
8. In 1516, Erasmus published his Latin and Greek translations of the New Testament. He also wrote his own notes and commentary on the New Testament.
9. Erasmus was dedicated to reform of the Church from within rather than breaking away from the Catholic Church. This brought him into conflict with Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
10. Erasmus died in 1536 in Basel, Switzerland. Despite never having held a high office in academia or the Church, he had succeeded in becoming the most well-known Renaissance humanist and scholar in Europe.

Fig. 2 Queens' College, Cambridge is where Erasmus spent most of his years in England teaching.

Desiderius Erasmus: Renaissance Humanist

Renaissance Humanism was an intellectual movement that spread across Europe from 1400 to 1600. Let's look at Erasmus' contributions to the movement.

Desiderius Erasmus: Humanist Scholar

Erasmus was a firm believer in the power of education. He wrote several textbooks, guides on education, and a guide for those wishing to establish a school: On the Method of Study (1511).

Erasmus spent much time translating ancient works of Greek and Latin philosophy into modern European languages. He published his own Greek and Latin translation of the New Testament in 1516, along with his notes on the texts. He used humanist scholarship to interrogate biblical texts.

For example, he believed that some verses supporting the doctrine of the Trinity were added to the New Testament centuries after they were written to legitimise the decisions made by early Church Councils. He also argued in Ratio Verae Theologiae (1518) that good theology was created by good language skills rather than simply holding a priest's office. These views brought him into conflict with conservative Catholic priests.

Erasmus was also a commentator on essential issues of religion and politics of his day. He was in regular correspondence with nearly every European intellectual and significant public figure, such as Henry VIII and the future Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. He advocated that leaders such as Charles V pursued peace rather than war.

Historian Wim Blockmans sums up Erasmus' intellectual achievements in the following statement:

Desiderius Erasmus: Religion

Desiderius Erasmus remained committed to the Catholic Church all his life. That said, he was a critical and progressive voice within Catholicism. Erasmus believed that the Church needed urgent reform, even publishing a satirical work called Praise of Folly (1511), in which he ridiculed various aspects of Catholicism, including corruption in monasteries and the theatricality of services.

Erasmus vs Luther

Erasmus initially sympathised with Luther and his followers when the Protestant Reformation kicked off. He agreed with Luther that the abuses of the Church needed urgent reform.

However, Erasmus soon grew unhappy with how Luther's doctrines and methods developed. In 1524, Erasmus published an essay, The Freedom of the Will, arguing that humans could choose good or evil. This went against Luther's view that humans did not have free will because God predestined every choice.

Fig. 3 Painting of Martin Luther.

Erasmus also disagreed with Luther's decision to break from the Catholic Church and start his own religious movement - arguing that such a decision would lead to violence rather than peaceful reform. In the end, Luther and Erasmus came into fierce conflict with one another.

This quote well sums up Erasmus' attitude to Luther:

Desiderius Erasmus: Beliefs

This table gives an overview of Erasmus' most well-known beliefs, arranged by topic.

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus: Quotes

These quotes highlight the character and some of the beliefs of Desiderius Erasmus.

Desiderius Erasmus: Major Accomplishments

Erasmus is known today as one of the most outstanding European scholars who ever lived. He was a Renaissance humanist dedicated to his work. He influenced the intellectual mood of Europe during his lifetime and after it.

Fig. 4 A Painting of Desiderius Erasmus by Hans Holbein the Younger.

His many works, not least his translation of the New Testament, demonstrate his extraordinary scholarly abilities. Biographer of Erasmus, Fran Rees, encapsulates this golden image of Erasmus in her introduction: