Reviews for Essential Erasmus

The average rating for Essential Erasmus based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-09-26 00:00:00 Denzel Robinson Handbook for the Militant Christian. Sounds offputting doesn't it? A call to arms to defeat some faceless infidel, a war cry to wage against the world? In a word, no. In the last chapter, Erasmus makes no bones that we are to forgive those who harm us and love those who would do us ill. We should look to the Supreme Example, Christ, who died for a world that didn't accept Him, and in so doing gained the keys to the Kingdom. Revenge only deepens hurt and portends disaster, Erasmus lets us know on a more practical level. In seeking recompense for errors committed against us, we ironically only create more trouble for ourselves and not our 'enemy'. In these words, I have not found a better voice that blends the best Pagan Wisdom with the Truth of the Revealed Word. So who is the enemy? Earlier in the book, Erasmus lets us know it is the flesh. We have both an inner and outer man. The outer, connected to the world and all it's trappings, the possibilities of gluttony, drunkenness and lustful pursuits which only end in death, and that inner man, which is connected to things Spiritual, and Christ utmost. Clearly, as St. Paul stated, who is oft quoted here by the author, the flesh must be crucified. We must recognize another irony. That the more we deny the flesh, the more we flourish Spiritually. Thoughts are given on how to flee temptation, where we are urged to reign in Vanity, Pride in order to live a simple, humble, Christian life. Seneca wrote letters to a Stoic. Erasmus wrote this manual for a boy just being initiated into manhood. What a resplendent re-capitulation of the Old World Wisdom during the Renaissance where the knowledges of Plato, Origen and Augustine could once again be remembered and carried forward to us here in the postmodern world.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-05-31 00:00:00 Brady Willcox A couple of things...first of all, it's not a book you take to the beach. Popular anthologies of early Renaissance/Counter-Reformation writers in paperback form just aren't easily found or read nowadays, and belong to an era where there was some prestige in being culturally literate for its own sake. Nowadays, this book would be of most interest to lovers of religious history, Catholicism, or just the history of the early 16th century generally, but few others. I read it because I wanted some context for reading the Praise of Folly (included); I can see why it's still considered a masterpiece--great satire. Dolan does a terrific job of not only translating throughout but also providing masterly introductions to each piece. I recommend it to people who have a deep love of reading, but it's not a rewarding book and the dry stretches are both dense and often meandering. (You have to remember none of these works were intended for a popular audience, not even the Praise of Folly, which was a personal joke to his good friend and fellow theologian Thomas More.) I enjoyed reading it, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a grind at times.