Erasmus, Desiderius << ih RAZ muhs, `dehz` ih DEER ee uhs >> (1466?-1536), was a Dutch priest and scholar who sought to reform the Roman Catholic Church. At first, he supported the German theologian Martin Luther and other leaders of the Reformation, the religious movement that gave birth to Protestantism. These reformers opposed the corruption and dogmatism they and Erasmus saw in the church. However, he believed in the unity of Christianity and so refused to endorse the establishment of a separate church. Erasmus failed in his efforts to create a moderate, humane middle ground in the fierce conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
Erasmus was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He was ordained a priest in 1492. In 1499, he visited England and met scholars John Colet and Thomas More. They persuaded him to focus on Biblical studies.
In his Handbook of a Christian Soldier (1503), Erasmus presented what he called the philosophy of Christ. This philosophy stressed piety, morality, and dedication to truth. In his satire The Praise of Folly (1511), he criticized the clergy for neglecting these values and instead emphasizing ceremonies and the letter of the law. Erasmus’s 1516 edition of the New Testament in Greek made the original text available for the first time. He died on July 12, 1536.
