Encounters with a radical Erasmus

"Although Erasmus is now accepted as a harbinger of liberal trends in mainstream Christian theology, the radical - even subversive - aspects of his work have received less attention than they merit. Beginning with a redefinition of the term 'radicalism,' Peter G. Bietenholz examines the radical aspects of Erasmus' writings and their effects on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century readers." "In this study, Bietenholz explores the more controversial Erasmus scholarship on the New Testament and the ways in which it influenced prominent thinkers, including John Milton and Sir Isaac Newton. Turning to other challenges to orthodoxy in Erasmus' writings, Bietenholz shows how Erasmus' opposition to war inspired radical manifestations of pacifism over the centuries. Bietenholz also describes how Erasmus' forthright statements on freedom of thought and religious tolerance elicited both warm approval and fierce rejection, and demonstrates his role in fostering the early modern culture of. Scepticism." "Based on a fresh reading of original sources and reactions of contemporary readers who were demonstrably familiar with Erasmus' works, Encounters with a Radical Erasmus makes an important and a unique contribution to the intellectual and religious history of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." --Book Jacket.