Erasmus
Also called: Desiderius Erasmus · Topic: Renaissance, Reformation and the Scientific Revolution · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 5 "Print Culture and the Modern World"; Class 11, Ch 5 "Changing Cultural Traditions"
Meaning
Erasmus (1466–1536) was a Christian humanist from Holland. A Christian humanist was a Church scholar who used careful study of ancient texts to call for a purer, simpler Christianity. Erasmus said the Church had become greedy and extortionate, meaning it squeezed money out of ordinary people. He wanted Christians to practise their religion as the old texts described it, without the rituals added later. His criticism helped prepare the ground for the Reformation of the 16th century.
Example
Erasmus and the English humanist Thomas More both attacked the Church's greed in the early 16th century. Erasmus did this in Holland and More in England. Their writings spread quickly through print and made educated readers question the Church's practices before Martin Luther's protest of 1517.
Don't confuse with
- Martin Luther: Erasmus criticised the Church but stayed inside it. Luther broke with the Pope and started the Protestant movement.
- Italian humanists: In Italy, humanists were mostly professional scholars. In north Europe, humanists like Erasmus were often members of the Church.
Related concepts
- Christian humanism
- Thomas More
- Indulgences
- Donation of Constantine
- Martin Luther
- Ninety-Five Theses
- Protestant Reformation
- John Calvin
- English Reformation
- Anglican Church