Erasmus

By Christopher Hollis Erasmus is one of the giants of Christian and humanist letters. Representative of the spirit of the Renaissance, forerunner of the Enlightenment, he is indelibly associated with culture, education, and literature. Christopher Hollis’s Erasmus (originally part of the Science and Cultured Series, edited by Joseph Husslein, S.J.) is a chronicle of a brilliant yet erratic individual, a candid study of a scholar of monumental importance, and—perhaps most importantly—a clear explanation of Erasmus’s religiosity, his relationship to the Catholic Church and attitude toward the Reformation. The key events and works of Erasmus’s life are presented here, including his visits to England and friendship with Thomas More; the Praise of Folly and the Enchiridion militis Christiani; the Greek New Testament and editions of the Church Fathers; and his contentions with Luther. No man is wise at all times, or is without his blind side. (Erasmus)  When Erasmus first met Thomas More,