Erasmus

Erasmus
Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1523) by Hans Holbein the Younger resting his hands on a Greek The Labours of Hercules,[1] "arguably…the most important portrait in England"
Born	c. 28 October 1466 Rotterdam or Gouda, Burgundian Netherlands, Holy Roman Empire
Died	12 July 1536(1536-07-12) (aged 69) Basel, Old Swiss Confederacy
Other names	Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus Erasmus of Rotterdam
Known for	New Testament translations and exegesis, satire, pacificism, letters, best-selling author and editor, and influencer
Awards	Counsellor to Charles V. (hon.)
Academic background
Education	University of Paris Queens' College, Cambridge University of Turin (STD, 1506)
Influences	Jerome Origen Lorenzo Valla John Colet Thomas More Jean Vitrier John Fisher Thomas Linacre William Grocyn Aldus Manutius Cicero Socrates Augustine of Hippo Thomas Aquinas Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Academic work
Era	Northern Renaissance
School or tradition	Renaissance humanism
Institutions	University of Cambridge University of Oxford University of Leuven
Main interests	Bonae litterae Philology Pastoral theology Patristics Catholic theology Political philosophy Philosophy of education Criticism of Protestantism
Notable works	The Praise of Folly Handbook of a Christian Knight On Civility in Children Julius Excluded The Education of a Christian Prince Novum Instrumentum omne On Free Will
Notable ideas	Philosophia Christi Biblical ad fontes Erasmian pronunciation Critique of just war theory accommodation Lectio difficilior potior
Influenced	Thomas More John Fisher John Colet Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples Martin Luther Philip Melanchthon Huldrych Zwingli Johannes Oecolampadius William Tyndale John Calvin Jacob Milich Wolfgang Capito Damião de Góis Rabelais Miguel de Cervantes William Shakespeare John Milton Pius V Peter Canisius Robert Bellarmine Ignatius of Loyola Francis Xavier Charles Borromeo John of Ávila Teresa of Ávila Francis De Sales John Henry Newman Henri de Lubac
Ecclesiastical career
Religion	Christianity
Church	Catholic Church
Ordained	25 April 1492

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (/ˌdɛzɪˈdɪəriəs ɪˈræzməs/; Dutch: [ˌdeːziˈdeːriʏs eˈrɑsmʏs]; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus; 28 October c.1466 – 12 July 1536) was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic theologian, educationalist, satirist, and philosopher. Through his vast number of translations, books, essays, prayers and letters, he is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Northern Renaissance and one of the major figures of Dutch and Western culture.^[2][3]

He was an important figure in classical scholarship who wrote in a spontaneous, copious and natural Latin style. As a Catholic priest developing humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. He also wrote On Free Will, The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style and many other works.

Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious Reformation. He developed a biblical humanistic theology in which he advocated tolerance, concord and free thinking on matters of indifference. He remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life, remaining committed to reforming the Church from within. He promoted the traditional doctrine of synergism, which some prominent Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin rejected in favor of the doctrine of monergism. His middle-road approach disappointed, and even angered, partisans in both camps.