Desiderius Erasmus Biography

Dutch Humanist and Scholar Best Known for In Praise of Folly

May 3, 2009

Brief biography of Desiderius Erasmus, a Renaissance scholar and theologian, famous for The Colloquies.

Erasmus was a Dutch writer, theologian and scholar, one of the most influential in his time and a major figure in promoting the Renaissance in Europe.

Early Life of Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (meaning, "of Rotterdam") was born on October 27, 1469 in Rotterdam, Holland. He was a son of a priest. Both his parents died of the plague that proliferated that time. At the age of 17, he was sent to a monastery.

By the time he became a priest six years later, Erasmus was already unhappy with monastic life. His problem was solved the following year when the Bishop of Cambrai appointed him as his secretary and even allowing him to study in France and England. He proved to be a brilliant scholar and met several of the scholars of the day.

Erasmus in Mid-Life

Erasmus was a humanist and had a liberal view of salvation, believing that people who haven't heard the gospel is still redeemable. When he was 40, Erasmus was appointed professor of Divinity at Cambridge University. He produced an edition of the New Testament and established an unmatched reputation for his studies of the Bible.

He also wrote a witty satire called The Colloquies, which became one of the most widely read books as it drew attention on some misconduct of many of the clergy. His liberal ideas conflicted with the Catholic church, in particular, Pope Julius II.

Martin Luther's Reformation and Erasmus

In his early 50s, Erasmus moved to Switzerland to avoid the controversy about reforms of the Church. He wanted unity and peace and hoped that change could come about through reading and discussions rather than violence. He anticipated Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation but being inherently ecumenical, he opposed a split from the Catholic Church.

Last Years of Erasmus

Erasmus was pressured into taking a stand against the reformer Martin Luther, by publishing a short work, On Free Will, explaining the position. In the end, Luther and his supporters won. Although still respected as a writer and humanist, Erasmus spent his remaining years isolated from the changes that followed. He died on July 12, 1536, at the age of 66.

"If anyone is shocked at this being more frivolous than theology should be, or more trenchant than befits a Christian, then I didn't say it – Democritus did." ~ Erasmus, In Praise of Folly.

Works by Desiderius Erasmus

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