Collected Works of Erasmus: Controversies: 74

Erasmus’ thorough engagement with the New Testament, in particular his revision of the Vulgate translation, aroused much controversy, especially in the orthodox Roman Catholic country of Spain. Erasmus had to fight fierce polemics with several people, including two Spanish scholars, Diego López Zúñiga and Sancho Carranza de Miranda, who were both connected to the University of Alcalà. This quarrel lasted from 1520 to 1524, with a late response by Erasmus in 1529. The discussion started as a philological one, regarding "correct" Latin, but turned into a dogmatic-theological fight over the issues of whether the New Testament speaks of Christ as God, whether one can apply the term servus (servant) to Christ, and whether the sacramental character of matrimony can be deduced from Ephesians 5:32.

The six texts in this volume are here translated and annotated for the first time. With elucidating notes and an introduction, the volume offers wonderful insight into a fierce and fundamental polemic over the New Testament

Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536), a Dutch humanist, Catholic priest, and scholar, was one of the most influential Renaissance figures. A professor of divinity and Greek, Erasmus wrote, taught, and travelled, meeting with Europe’s foremost scholars. Erasmus was a prolific author, writing on both ecclesiastic and general human interest subjects.

Jan Bloemendal is a senior researcher at the Huygens Institute and lecturer at Ruhr University Bochum.


Alexander Dalzell was a professor emeritus of classics at the University of Toronto.

Erika Rummel is a professor emerita in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Charles E. Fantazzi is the Thomas Harriot Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of Classics and Great Books at East Carolina University.