Erasmus of Rotterdam

jfahler03 · 04-03-2006, 10:39 AM

I'm just curious to see if anyone here has read and/or is familiar with Dutch Catholic Humanist Diesdre Erasmus of Rotterdam and what you think of him?

In reading some of his major works (e.g. his Discourse on Free Will, Enchiridon, and most famously The Praise of Folly) for a Protestant and Catholic Reformations History course I'm starting to agree with him more... and consider him an unsung hero in the reformation (though he remained a Catholic throughout his life)...

...any thoughts?

Oh... and you Calvinist/Arminian nurds will be interested to know that I'm moving more towards Arminianism (or at least further from Cavlinism) partly as a result of this.

Theologically, I find his beliefs regarding the importance of Irenicism interesting as it applies to the Catholic Church. While Erasmus abhored the clerical abuses especially of higher clergy (read his Julius Excluded and The Praise of Folly), he criticized breaking apart the RCC for any means of reformation (as Luther did early on). Who was right in this? Luther obviously didn't succeed and certainly could not have - but could we be at another extreme if he had? While it's not a theologically based question... can fragmentation be a GOOD thing for Christianity?

joshaber · 04-03-2006, 10:46 AM

Have you read the discourse about free will between Luther and Erasmus?

jfahler03 · 04-03-2006, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshaber

Have you read the discourse about free will between Luther and Erasmus?

Yes... I had to for a class. It's interesting how Erasmus comes down on BOTH sides of the issue... Luther basically cut-and-dried on the side concerning a lack of free will...