Biography of Erasmus of Rotterdam

Intellectual freedom

27 October 1469
12 July 1536
The Dutch Humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus (Latinized name of Geert Geertsz) was born in Rotterdam on 27 October 1469. Could also be the birth year 1466, and the hometown is more probably Gouda. He will sign his writings under the name Desiderius Erasmus. His best known work is the "praise of folly". He is often associated with Rotterdam, but Erasmus will live in this city only early childhood and throughout his life there coming back. The illegitimate son of a priest, Roger Gerard, Daisy's mother is the daughter of a doctor. Erasmo remains orphaned in 1483; his parents allow him to receive the best education possible for its time, attending monastic schools of Deventer and s'Hertogenbosch. He was ordained a priest in 1492, although it will never be an active priest.
Monasticism would indeed was a major theme of his criticism of the Church. In 1495 he travelled at the University of Paris to continue his studies. Asks and then gets to be dispensed by the Holy Office. Starting from 1499 travels in France, England and Italy coming into contact with the most important cultural centres, giving lectures, conferences, and studying ancient manuscripts. The period spent in England allows him to know and make friends with Henry VIII, John Colet, Thomas more, John Fisher, Thomas Linacre and William Grocyn. Teaches Greek at Cambridge; Although he had the prospect of being able to teach for a long time, Erasmus preferred the life of independent scholar: with great awareness Erasmus will avoid any formal link that could limit his intellectual freedom and freedom of expression.
Erasmus held during this period corresponded with more than 500 people in the literary and political world: her figure rapprsenterà the center of the literary movement of his time. The literary production starts quite late, only when it finally comes to believe he could master the Latin. Erasmus will stay Catholic throughout his life, however harshly criticize the excesses of the Catholic Church refusing the title of Cardinal that he/she will be offered.
In his treatise on the preparation for death makes it clear that faith in Christ and not the sacraments and rituals of the Church would be the only guarantee for eternal life. Erasmus will prepare a new version of New Testament Greek and Latin. Erasmus shares many points of criticism of Martin Luther to the Catholic Church. Luther himself manifest admiration for Erasmus higher culture. Luther would have hoped for a partnership with Erasmo in a work that was a continuation of his own. Erasmus but declines to engage, citing as a reason its willingness not to take sides to maintain their driving position of a purely intellectual movement, purpose of your life.
Erasmus believed that only by a neutral stance could influence the reform of religion. To Luther that choice seemed a mere refusal to assume their responsibilities. While the triumph of the Lutheran reformation knows his Pinnacle originate even social unrest that Erasmus already feared: the German peasants ' war, iconoclasm, radicalism which leads in Germany and Holland Anabaptists in movements. Erasmus felt happy to be left unconnected, however in Catholic circles was accused of being the instigator of estrangement. As a demonstration of its remoteness from the Reformation, when Basel, where Erasmo resides in 1529 adopts the reformed doctrines, he moved to the nearby city of Fribourg.
Here Erasmus continues his tireless career ending the most important work of his later years the "Ecclesiastes", in which he argues that the preaching is the only truly important duty of the Catholic faith. Erasmus died on 12 July 1536 in Basel where he had returned to control the publication of "Ecclesiastes". Although always remained a Catholic is buried in the Cathedral dedicated to the Lutheran worship. On 19 January 1543 in Milan his books be burned along with those of Luther.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.