In Praise of Folly
Through the mouth of "Folly," Erasmus mocked the hypocrisy of clergy and the empty chatter of the schools across Europe. It was said, "Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched."
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Erasmus
"Prince of the humanists," Christian humanism
Remembered for a Single Line · Small Roles, Famous Names
HumanismClassical scholarshipReform
Who they are
Erasmus (c. 1466–1536), the towering Dutch humanist, is known for his edited Greek New Testament and the satire In Praise of Folly. He urged a return to the classical and scriptural sources and a moderate, rational reform of the church — and though he prepared the ground for the Reformation, he always opposed Luther’s radical break.
Primary sourcesErasmus, In Praise of Follyhis edited Greek New Testament
Key stories
Relationships
Disciple
Echoes today
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
The "Erasmus" programmeThe EU named its student-exchange programme after him as a symbol of European humanism.