Below is an extract from a paper on Erasmus and the Catholic Church. The man writing the paper saw Erasmus as a forerunner to Martin Luther, although Erasmus saw no gain in forfeiting his salvation by leaving the Church:Erasmus also argued that the corrupt clergy reduced religious ceremonies to mere habits and emphasized complicated dogma. He instead advocated that Christians strive to emulate Jesus. The sacraments and Gospels should be gateways to Jesus, but the Church undermined them with excess ritual. Historian Johan Huizinga, in his Erasmus and the Age of the Reformation, recognized Erasmus's desire for simplicity: He found society, and especially religious life, full of practices, ceremonies, traditions and conceptions, from which the Spirit seemed to have departed. He does not reject them offhand and altogether: what revolts him is that they are so often performed without understanding and right feeling. But to his mind, highly susceptible to the foolish and ridiculous things, all that sphere of ceremony and tradition displays itself as a useless, nay, a hurtful scene of human stupidity and selfishness. [2]
(16)Erasmus feared that the ceremonies outweighed the meanings in the Catholic Church; he wanted to teach people to revere and think about those meanings.
Hi
Desiderius Erasmus's position on church rituals was to get rid of some church rituals that he considered meaningless. Instead of rituals, he emphasized devotion to God and the teaching of Jesus. Erasmus was an early heretic, to quote from his biography: In his Treatise on Preparation For Death he made clear his position, that faith in the atonement of Christ, and not in the sacraments and rituals of the church, is the only guarantee of eternal life.
Desiderius Erasmus criticized excessive rituals in the Church, advocating for a return to simpler and more genuine forms of worship. He believed that the focus should be on inner piety and devotion rather than elaborate ceremonies and traditions. Erasmus emphasized the importance of understanding the true meaning behind rituals rather than blindly following them.
Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius ErasmusDesiderius Erasmus known as Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 to 1536) was critical of abuses within the Catholic Church but continued to recognize the authority of the Pope
Desiderius ErasmusDesiderius Erasmus known as Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 to 1536) was critical of abuses within the Catholic Church but continued to recognize the authority of the Pope
Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Eramsmus was a very important scholar . In 1509he published a book , The Praise of Folly, in which criticized corrupt clergy. Erasmus also wanted to get rid of some church rituals , he emphasized devotion to God and the teachings of Jesus. Martin Luther added his voice to the call for reform. He nailed a list of complaints about the church to the door of a church in Wittenberg in the German state of Saxony. Luther's list of complaints is called the Ninety-Five Theses .
The Moriae Encomium, or The Praise of Folly, was written by Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch philosopher and Christian scholar, in 1509. It is a satirical work that critiques the perceived follies and vices of society, especially within the Church.
John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, Catherine of Siena, and Desiderius Erasmus
The leading figure of the Christian humanism movement was Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch scholar and theologian in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He emphasized the importance of studying the original sources of Christianity and promoting education and reform within the church.
his attacks on corruption in the church contributed to many people desire to leave Catholicism
The Dutch theologian, classical scholar, and humanist known for writing "In Praise of Folly" is Desiderius Erasmus. This satirical work criticizes societal norms and the Catholic Church during the Renaissance period, emphasizing the importance of individual faith and reason. Erasmus is considered a significant figure in the intellectual and cultural movement of Humanism.