Erasmus von Rotterdam: Anwalt eines neuzeitlichen Christentums (review)

Christ-von Wedel follows up on her earlier examination of Erasmus's epistemology (Das Nichtwissen bei Erasmus von Rotterdam, 1981) with an intellectual biography of the Christian humanist. The subtitle puts the emphasis on the modernity of Erasmus's Christian thought, but the introduction singles out a more specific subject of investigation: "How did Erasmus arrive at the new historical approach, which alienated so many of his contemporaries?" (19, my translation).

Chapter 1 deals with Erasmus's schooling and first publications. Christ-von Wedel shows that the key elements of his thought were present even in his earliest writings: the fruitful connection between learning and piety, the negative reaction to scholasticism, and the emphasis on the philological and historical exegesis used by the Fathers. An excursus offers new insights into the character of a group of religious poems. Christ-von Wedel points out that they draw on classical learning as well as on the imagery of miracle plays, combining elements of high modern culture with popular medieval motifs. Christ-von Wedel successfully traces Neoplatonic influences in Erasmus's early writings, but is less persuasive in drawing a parallel between Erasmus and the Catalan philosopher Raimundus Sabundus. She concludes the chapter with a careful, though traditional, analysis of the psychological, satirical, and theological aspects of the Praise of Folly.

A discussion of Erasmus's debt to Lorenzo Valla leads into chapter 2, which deals with New Testament scholarship. The example of Valla helped Erasmus define a program, which he pursued throughout his life: the restoration of ancient texts to serve as a basis for the restoration of theology. It is in this chapter that Christ-von Wedel focuses on Erasmus's historical approach. He recognized that the language and style of the apostle was determined by historical circumstances. He regarded the Bible as a historical source and the apostles as witnesses to history. They were human and liable to error in non-essential matters; only their pronouncements on articles of faith were inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore infallible. Apparent contradictions in the text served as reminders of the limitations of the human intellect.

The biblical exegete must proceed like a historian ("Was Erasmus hier dem angehendem Theologen empfiehlt, ist das Handwerkszeug eines Historikers," 87). He must study the languages in which the source texts are written, understand their historical context, and subject them to a critical reading. Erasmus's Paraphrases offer additional evidence for his historical thinking. While the reformers regarded the gospel message as timeless, Erasmus noted a historical development in the thinking of the church and insisted that the evangelists "were obliged to consider the sensibilities of their own time" (100, my translation). The modern reader, in turn, must be aware of the historical context in which they wrote.

In the conclusion of chapter 2, Christ-von Wedel discusses Erasmus's increasingly negative reaction to the Reformation movement. Two aspects repelled him: the prophetic certainty ("prophetische Glaubensgewissheit," 118) of the reformers and the radical implementation of their ideas.

Chapter 3 contains an extensive discussion of Erasmus's theology, especially his views on the Trinity, justification, and free will. Three important characteristics emerge from Christ-von Wedel's analysis: first, Erasmus rejects curiositas. Some matters of faith, he says, transcend human understanding and defy close analysis. Such questions are best settled by seeking consensus or accepting the teaching authority of the church. Second, there is no dichotomy between faith and knowledge. Third, Logos plays a central role in mediating between God and the believer: "Speech serves as a vehicle of communication and of charity. Through speech the heart of the speaker is joined with that of the listener" (153, my translation).

The question whether Erasmus merits the designation "theologian" remains a subject of debate among historians. Erasmus does not offer a precisely formulated creed, but Christ-von Wedel defines a theologian as someone "who attempts to formulate God's revelation in a new...