Erasmus was a very influential humanist during the 14th century. He wrote many satires of which poked fun at many different people. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam, Holland. He was given a good education and at the age of 21, and entered a monastery. He became a priest at the monastery five years later. He was, however, unhappy with the monastery life and got permission to leave. Erasmus was named “Prince of Humanists.” He was somewhat a celebrity and his idea to reform the church seemed possible.
He traveled around the world and ended up back in England in 1509. He then lived with More and wrote “The Praise of Folly (1509).” Erasmus depicts Folly as a goddess who praises her followers in all elements of European Society. Erasmus paints the church as dreary. He contrasts theologians with apostles, who don’t make distinctions between infused and acquired charity or actual…show more content… He wrote “De libero arbitrio” which defended the human free choice in the process of salvation. He responded to his own work with a two part work called “Hyperaspistes”. Erasmus says that he would claim more for free will than St. Paul and St. Augustine seem to allow.
Erasmus believed that freedom and religion can live together in peace he created a book just for this idea. The book is called the “Handbook of the militant Christian. It outlines a system of Christian ethics based off the teachings of the New Testament. The idea of Christian Humanism spread throughout Northern Europe, Italy, and Spain. He can be considered a modernist because of this idea. People like Martin Luther believed that religion was the only option.
He was a great philosopher as well as a great writer. He mastered the use of language and grammar. His literature was colorful with many ideas of his own put in to turn his work into something with great meaning. His writings were also clear in what they were trying to