The complicated sixteenth century: Difference between revisions
→Erasmus, 1465-1535
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== Erasmus, 1465-1535 == | == Erasmus, 1465-1535 == | ||
Considered a great figure in the northern Renaisance | Considered a great figure in the northern Renaisance humanism movement, as a Catholic leader Erasmus is complicated. He promoted "humanism," or a human-centric view of the world that emphasizes the human condition (especially happiness, liberty, peace), learning through Classical education focused on Greek and Roman language, philosophy and rhetoric), he called for Church reform in matters of monasticism ("Monkishmness is not piety"<ref>''Enchiridion'' </ref>) and formulatistic sacerdotalism (that relgious ceremony had become habit and doctrinially overly complex, even going so far as to accuse certain types of priests as being pharisitical), and for focus on Sacred texts and its language, bordering Lutheran ''sola scriptura''. Above all, he opposed "scholasticism," and thus St, Thomas Aquinas, although not by name, attacking, instead, Aquinas' heirs, known as the Scholastics. With brilliance and borderline irreverance, he wrote scathing satires and critiques about them the Scholastics and certain clergy. By way of rejection of the Vulgate Bible, he penned his own dual Greek-Latin translation of the New Testament, issued in 1516 with his own commentary and theory. | ||
While sharing their spirit of reform and humanistic views that had moved Luther and others into a break from the Church, and while he defended Luther from charges of heresy,<ref>His ''Inquisitio de fide'' argued that heretical beliefs were only those that violated essential doctrines such as the Creed.</ref> he abhored the schism and criticized Luther for being confrontational. Erasmus rejected the Lutherin and Calvinistic doctrines of ''sole fide'' ("belief only) and predestination, arguing that humans exercise free will (a view consistent with his upholding of the importance of the Sacrament of Reconcilation). And he upheld the doctrine of Transubstantiation, even joining a Catholic exodus from Basel after a Calvinist leader banned the Holy Mass 1529. | |||
This article, [https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/desiderius-erasmus Desiderius Erasmus | Catholic Answers Encyclopedia], offers a critical view of Erasmus and his humanism, which aligned him with Martin Luther in many respects. Erasmus never rejected the Church and, by the end of his life, he had distanced himself from Luther. Erasmus's close friend, (Saint) Thomas More shared 16th century humanistic views, but never strayed from Church orthodoxy. We may assume that Erasmus' friendship with More grounded him more firmly in the Catholic faith, as many of his contemporaries such as William Tyndale<ref>Tyndale was an English protestant reformer who translated the Bible into English based on the earlier work of John Wycliff, whose anti-Catholic followers were called "Lollards."</ref>, Martin Luther, and others were not. | This article, [https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/desiderius-erasmus Desiderius Erasmus | Catholic Answers Encyclopedia], offers a critical view of Erasmus and his humanism, which aligned him with Martin Luther in many respects. Erasmus never rejected the Church and, by the end of his life, he had distanced himself from Luther. Erasmus's close friend, (Saint) Thomas More shared 16th century humanistic views, but never strayed from Church orthodoxy. We may assume that Erasmus' friendship with More grounded him more firmly in the Catholic faith, as many of his contemporaries such as William Tyndale<ref>Tyndale was an English protestant reformer who translated the Bible into English based on the earlier work of John Wycliff, whose anti-Catholic followers were called "Lollards."</ref>, Martin Luther, and others were not. | ||