Erasmus' Egg: Humanism, Reformation, and the People's Book

Martin Luther


He submitted his 95 theses in 1517; it was printed three times that year: in Nuremberg, Leipzig, and Basel. 

In 1518, Luther's writings caught the attention of the renowned scholar, Desiderius Erasmus, who was cautiously optimistic about what he perceived as progress in the cause of Christian humanism. This optimism wasn't lasting, as Luther's writings and actions became more and more severe with time. For example, in 1520, the Catholic Church issued Exsurge Domine, a papal bull which demanded that Luther recant his offensive writings upon penalty of excommunication. Rather than comply or reply, Luther, in a dramatic act of defiance, burned it. Erasmus, who remained within the Catholic Church despite his progressive ideals, didn't want such an association.

Nevertheless, Erasmus' humanism continued to impact Luther's work. In 1522/23, Luther's German translation of the New Testament was printed, which was based off of the second edition (1519) of Erasmus' New Testament. 





​Pettegree, Andrew. “Early Reformation in Europe: A German Affair or an International Movement?” In Early Reformation in Europe, 1–22. Cambridge [England] ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 
 
George, Timothy. Reading Scripture with the Reformers. InterVarsity Press, 2011.

“Universal Short Title Catalogue.” Accessed March 18, 2016.http://ustc.ac.uk.

 

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