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  Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536

• Critical Comedy and Theological Modernity

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The Praise of Folly (1511)
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Questions I

• Erasmus And Christian Humanism Modern
  Liberalism
• 1.1 Erasmus is a Christian humanist, scholar and
  satirist. How so?
• You should be able to explain briefly all
  four concepts (Christian, Humanism,
  Scholarship and Satire), and further show how all
  four are related and embodied in the authorship
  of the The Praise of Folly (1668). Focus
  especially on how his ideas and text reflect and
  further contribute to
• _at_ the spirit of period in which he lived and
  worked
• _at_ his "self-critical" contempt for the
  scholar/clergymen Why did he hate
  philosophers/monks, when he himself is one of
  them?
• 1.2 locate some of the "tongue-in-cheek" passages
  in the text (from the excerpt in the textbook, or
  the entire text The Praise of Folly)
  and analyse their tone how serious?  

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The Reformation

• The Reformation (16th century), which as a
  historical movement somehow began
  with angry young German Dr. Martin Luther's
  posting on the door of the Castle Church in
  Wittenberg, October 31, 1517, of 95 theses, is
  often seen as the twin brother/sister of the
  Renaissance.
• Study all the basic details of the information
  linked herewith.

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Luther, Thesis 89 of 95 Theses

• The Church is in need of a reformwhich is
  not the duty of one man, the pontiff, or of many
  cardinals (as the most recent council has proved
  both points), but of the whole world, even of God
  alone. But the time of this reform is known to
  Him alone who has founded the times

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Questions 2

• Erasmus and the Lutheran Reformation
• 2.1 What are the connections between the two Rs?
  Both conceptually and historically.
• 2.2 What is patently "modern" about the two
  Rs (as opposed to classical)?
• 2.3 Which theses/passages/ideas strike a cord
  with you, still today? 
• 2.4 What are the three levels of spiritual
  renewal of Christianity that The Reformation
  promotes? And where does Methodism, for instance,
  fit in? 
• For a supplementary (i.e., not required) readi
  ng, peruse Luther's The German Mass and Order of
  Divine Service, January 1526.  
• 2.5 And lastly, correlate some of the Lutheran
  thesis to the words of Erasmus what
  are the examples that illustrate the
  contemporaneity of these two Christian radicals? 

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Christian Humanism of Erasmus and Luther's
paradox

• God works within us but not without us.
  Reformation is God's work, but at the same time
  it is man's work.
• (Hint Luther's point of objection to the corrupt
  Church leaders and Christian practices Only God
  can remit guilt.)