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Who was Erasmus What did he do?
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 were some of Desiderius Erasmus accomplishments?
In 1516, he published his magnum opus, an edition of the Greek New Testament, the first to reach the market. It anticipated the Complutensian Polyglot, which was already in print but still awaiting the papal imprimatur. Thus Erasmus found success in four different genres: literature, education, religion, and theology.
Where was Desiderius Erasmus born and where was he raised?
Desiderius Erasmus was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, probably on October 27, 1466, the second son of a priest, Roger Gerard, and Margaret, a physician’s daughter. His parents were unmarried at the time of his birth. School life shaped Erasmus from his fifth year onward.
What did Desiderius Erasmus mean by the philosophy of Christ?
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”.
How did Erasmus contribute to the Protestant Reformation?
He was both a Catholic Priest and a renowned humanist. His criticisms of church practices lay the seeds of the Protestant Reformation, though Erasmus never subscribed to the direction of Luther’s Reformation and he remained a committed Catholic throughout his life.
Who are some famous people Desiderius Erasmus made friends with?
The visit led to important connections. He made life-long friends, among them the humanists William Grocyn and Thomas Linacre, who inspired him to take up the study of Greek, and John Colet who shared his scorn for scholastic theology and drew him toward biblical studies.