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What is Erasmus most famous for?
Erasmus, in full Desiderius Erasmus, (born October 27, 1469 [1466?], Rotterdam, Holland [now in the Netherlands]—died July 12, 1536, Basel, Switzerland), Dutch humanist who was the greatest scholar of the northern Renaissance, the first editor of the New Testament, and also an important figure in patristics and …
What did Desiderius Erasmus advocate?
He embraced the humanistic belief in an individual’s capacity for self-improvement and the fundamental role of education in raising human beings above the level of brute animals. The thrust of Erasmus’ educational programme was the promotion of docta pietas, learned piety, or what he termed the “philosophy of Christ”.
What did Erasmus contribute to society?
Erasmus contributed to the Renaissance by revising ancient works and translating them into Greek and Latin such as the Bible. Erasmus also contributed to the Reformation by calling for reform in the Church through his various satirical works.
What did Erasmus teach?
In the early 1500s, Erasmus was persuaded to teach at Cambridge and lecture in theology. It was during this time that he wrote The Praise of Folly, a satirical examination of society in general and the various abuses of the Church.
Why was Erasmus so important to the church?
The books brought him fame, as did his Bible. This and his attacks on a church caught Luther’s attention, who wrote asking for support. The two never met, but their fates were entwined for all history. Erasmus’s enemies accused him of inspiring the schismatic Luther.
What was the relationship between Martin Luther and Erasmus?
This and his attacks on a church caught Luther’s attention, who wrote asking for support. The two never met, but their fates were entwined for all history. Erasmus’s enemies accused him of inspiring the schismatic Luther. And indeed, Erasmus found much he liked in the German’s writings, describing him to Leo X as “a mighty trumpet of gospel truth.”
Who was the first person to praise Erasmus?
Two of the most noteworthy praises of Erasmus’s work came from Pope Leo X and from a German monk named Martin Luther—who, one year later, would launch the Protestant Reformation.
What did Desiderius Erasmus do during the Enlightenment?
The circulation of Erasmus’ works was temporarily curtailed when the Catholic Church put them on the Index of Forbidden Books, but his ideas saw a revival during the Enlightenment when he was regarded as a forerunner of rationalism.