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May 5, 2020
This work was previously presented in regards to Martin Luther, (link below) but this time Erasmus is the scholar in focus and with new material focused on Erasmus.
British philosopher, Blackburn writes that Erasmus (from Holland/Netherlands) was one of the earliest and greatest humanists of the Northern Renaissance. (124) Erasmus was a moderate and his moderate sceptism (124) gave him no reasonable place within the increasingly divisive Christian Church of his era. (124). However, his classical learning and teachings did have historical influence. (124).
Saturday, September 19, 2020
PhD Full Version PDF: Theodicy and Practical Theology 2010, Wales TSD
My History, professor at Trinity
Western University and Canadian Baptist Seminary, Dr. Ken Davis, a very
knowledgeable historian (paraphrased) stated that Erasmus was a brilliant
scholar that was not reasonably and fairly reviewed by Martin Luther in their
debate; nor was Erasmus reviewed fairly by history on the debate.
This work was previously presented in regards to Martin Luther, (link below) but this time Erasmus is the scholar in focus and with new material focused on Erasmus.
British philosopher, Blackburn writes that Erasmus (from Holland/Netherlands) was one of the earliest and greatest humanists of the Northern Renaissance. (124) Erasmus was a moderate and his moderate sceptism (124) gave him no reasonable place within the increasingly divisive Christian Church of his era. (124). However, his classical learning and teachings did have historical influence. (124).
His moderate views may have run afoul
of the less than moderate views of Martin Luther.
The Pocket Dictionary explains Erasmus
as a ‘major figure of the Reformation period’. (45). A humanist that sought
reform for the Church through scholarly study in Scripture and Greek and Latin
classical cultures. (45-46). The Pocket Dictionary opines that Erasmus
influenced Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin in the
interpretation of the New Testament through the original Greek manuscripts and
texts. (46) This assisted in their theological development within the
Reformation. (46).
2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD
thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter
In 1525 Luther wrote The Bondage of the
Will, which was a debate with a Catholic scholar named Desiderius Erasmus
(ca.1466-1536)[1] who was an advocate of the free
will theory.[2] Luther reasons that since
human beings were fallen and abandoned God, they could not will
good but only turned in the direction of their own desires.[3] He comments that human beings were perverted
and evil,[4] but this can be used by God for his
purposes, although people can do nothing but oppose God by the use of their own
will.[5] He dogmatically assumes that there
is no middle way between God’s grace and human free will,[6] and
postulates that human free will should be theologically denied and everything
should be ascribed to God.[7]
Luther’s sovereignty perspective[8] may
place less emphasis on the human will than the later writings of Calvin and
Feinberg. However, even the title of Luther’s book The
Bondage of the Will shows that he likely influenced Calvin somewhat
in The Bondage and Liberation of the Will. Jay Green
writes that Luther can be viewed as an early and continual influence on
Calvinism,[9] and it is reasonable to deduce that
Luther is perhaps a minor historical influence on Feinberg’s sovereignty
theology.[10] Green points out that Luther’s
views on theistic determinism are only accepted by a minority of Calvinists
today.[11]
June 28 2025
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Desiderius Erasmus 2017-2021
Cited
'Considered a forerunner of the Reformation by his contemporaries, he broke with Martin Luther over the latter’s sectarianism. More fundamentally, the two men disagreed over heuristics and engaged in a polemic over the question of free will. Erasmus took a skeptical position vis-à-vis Luther’s assertions. Unlike the reformer, he did not believe in the clarity of Scripture and used consensus and tradition as criteria to settle questions that did not allow a rational conclusion. Erasmus rarely ventured into doctrinal questions, however, favoring simple faith and devotion over dialectics and scholastic speculation. The circulation of Erasmus’ works was temporarily curtailed when the Catholic Church put them on the Index of Forbidden Books, but his ideas saw a revival during the Enlightenment when he was regarded as a forerunner of rationalism. His most famous work, The Praise of Folly, has remained in print to the present day, a distinction shared by few books from the 16th century.'
Referenced on that website
Erasmus’ Works For a repertory of individual works and their early editions, see Ferdinand Van der Haeghen, Bibliotheca Erasmiana: Répertoire des oeuvres d’Erasme (first published 1897, most recent reprinted Würzburg: Osthoff, 2005).
Erasmus’ Opera Omnia were first published in Basel: Froben, 1540. The arrangement of works adopted there has become the model for later editions. An authoritative critical edition (ASD) and an English translation (CWE) of his works are ongoing.
[Allen] Opus Epistolarum Des. Erasmi Roterodami, 12 vols., edited by P.S. Allen and others, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1906–1958. doi:10.1093/actrade/9780198203414.book.1
[ASD] Opera Omnia Des. Erasmi Roterodami, (no primary editor), Amsterdam: North Holland Press, 1969–. In 9 ordines or categories, each of which has multiple volumes.
[CWE] The Collected Works of Erasmus, (no primary editor), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974–.
[LB] Opera Omnia Des. Erasmi Roterodami, 10 vols. Leiden: Peter van der Aa, 1703–1706.
Texts not (or not yet) included in these editions:
Ferguson, Wallace K. (ed.), Erasmi Opuscula. A Supplement to the Opera Omnia, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1933.
[Holborn] Holborn, Hajo and Annemarie Holborn (eds.), Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus: Ausgewählte Werke, Munich: Beck, 1933.
---
BLACKBURN, SIMON
(1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy,
Oxford, Oxford University Press.
CAIRNS, EARLE E. (1981) Christianity Through
The Centuries, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
CALVIN, JOHN
(1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book
IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal
Library, Wheaton College. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.html
CALVIN, JOHN (1540)(1973) Romans and Thessalonians, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1540)(1973) Romans and Thessalonians, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN
(1550)(1978) Concerning Scandals,
Translated by John W. Fraser, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1554)(1965) Genesis, Translated by John King, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.
CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1554)(1965) Genesis, Translated by John King, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.
ERASMUS. (1525)(1972) ‘The Bondage of the Will’, in
F.W. Strothmann and Frederick W. Locke (eds.), Erasmus-Luther:
Discourse on Free Will, New York, Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., INC.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S.
(1986) Predestination and Free Will, in
David Basinger and Randall Basinger (eds.), Downers Grove, Illinois,
InterVarsity Press.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books.
GREEN, JAY (1971) Five Points of Calvinism,
‘Forward’, Grand Rapids, Sovereign Grace Publishers.
GRENZ, STANLEY J.,
DAVID GURETZKI and CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary
of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.
LUTHER, MARTIN. (1516)(1968) Commentary On
The Epistle To The Romans, Translated by J.Theodore Mueller, Grand Rapids,
Zondervan Publishing House.
LUTHER, MARTIN. (1518)(1989) ‘Heidelberg
Disputation’, in Timothy F. Lull (ed.), Martin Luther’s Basic
Theological Writings, Minneapolis, Fortress Press.
LUTHER, MARTIN. (1525)(1972) ‘The Bondage of the
Will’, in F.W. Strothmann and Frederick W. Locke (eds.), Erasmus-Luther:
Discourse on Free Will, New York, Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.,
INC.
[1] Cairns
(1981: 263).
[2] Erasmus
(1525)(1972: 20).
[3] Luther
(1525)(1972: 128-130).
[4] Luther
(1525)(1972: 128-130).
[5] Luther
(1525)(1972: 128-130).
[6] Luther
is far more forceful in presentation that is Calvin and especially
Feinberg. He is very forceful in his debate with
Erasmus. I would provide the opinion that he seems closed-minded.
[7] Luther
(1525)(1972: 133).
[8] Luther
(1525)(1972: 123).
[9] Green
(1971: 7).
[10] Feinberg
is far more sympathetic to differing viewpoints than is Luther.
[11] Green
(1971: 7).
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A version of this Blogger article placed on academia.edu 20250628.