Erasmus of Christendom

This is a welcome republication of a classic biography of Erasmus (1466-1536), who was one of the most sought-after advisers of his age to Kings, Cardinals and Popes. He must have been the most widely read man of letters of his day, and was continuously translating classical and other authors as well as producing a definitive first printed edition of the New Testament in Greek in 1516. The book explains how peripatetic his life was, with periods in London, Basel, Rotterdam, Paris, Rome, Cambridge and many other European cities. He was a close friend of both John Colet and Sir Thomas More, to whom his best known work, In Praise of Folly, was dedicated. I learned that he produced a number of editions of his book Adagia – a collection of proverbs that grew from 800 to 5,000. His role in relation to Luther is carefully discussed and one can see how he tries to steer a middle way on reform of the Church. It seems that he took a particular dislike to Pope Julius, and there is an excellent and witty dialogue as Julius is refused entry to heaven by Peter. It is also striking how he insists on a practical demonstration of the ethics of Jesus rather than relying on faith alone. We could well follow his advice of listening to both sides with open ears and refusing to serve any faction.