Word: erasmus
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...proposed opening the country's 23 Augustinian convents to men and women of any Christian faith, married or single. Life would follow an experimental communal pattern that has not yet been fully worked out. They may not have the chance. Rome?which may remember that both Luther and Erasmus were Augustinians?has threatened to disband the Dutch province if it goes ahead with the project...
...enjoyed reading your article on Erasmus [April 25], but I do not think you went all the way when you endeavored to explain the name of my great compatriot. Erasmus' name in fact was Geert Geertsz (Gerard, son of Gerard) and as the humanists liked to translate their names into Latin (and/or Greek), Erasmus used the fact that "Geert" in his time was a form of a verb which meant "to desire," "to long for" (Latin: desidero). You know, of course, that Melanchthon wrote an epitaph for Erasmus: "Eras mus omnia rodere solitus [You were a mouse that always...
...illegitimate son of a Dutch priest, Erasmus was sent as a young boy to study with the Brethren of the Common Life in the town of Deventer. The Brethren were an anomaly in the 15th century church: laymen who lived like monks, they took no permanent vows but observed a strict discipline and worked zealously among the poor. Erasmus was greatly attracted by their spirituality, even though he eventually joined a more conventional religious order, the Augustinian Canons...
...Although Erasmus remained a priest all his life, his interest in the Augustinians did not last long. Discipline interfered with his dedication to scholarship, and he eventually was dispensed from monastic rules. His central concern, apart from classical learning, was the true meaning of the Christian life. A follower of Christ, Erasmus thought, ought to be a spiritual soldier-a theme he explored in one of his first popular books, a volume that he dedicated hopefully to a sybaritic armaments manufacturer. His Enchiridion Militis Christian! (The Handbook, or "Dagger," of the Christian Soldier) failed to convert...
...monk without a monastery, Erasmus was free to travel. On visits to England, he found close friends in Sir Thomas More, John Colet and other noted English humanists. In Italy, he learned Greek, published an extensive anthology of ancient Adages, and was appalled at the wars of Pope Julius II against neighboring Christian states. In Bologna, he witnessed Julius' triumphal entry with "a mighty groan," wondering whether the Pope was the successor of Jesus Christ or Julius Caesar...