Desiderius Erasmus: Writer and Christian Humanist

Children's Literature

This biography of Desiderius Erasmus presents him as the idea man underlying the Reformation. He overcame the stigma of being the son of a priest and entered the priesthood. As a famous writer, thinker, and pacifist, he criticized the Catholic Church for its wealth and immoral life style, but he would not take sides between the Church and Luther. Born in Holland he moved to Rome, France, England, and finally to Switzerland, both to find patrons and to avoid conflict. He wrote books telling people how to live a Christian life and was called a Humanist because he equated Christianity with a way to live a better life. The text is enhanced by many pictures, sidebars, and maps. There is a time line of Erasmus' life along with other world events, resources for further study, and a glossary. This is one of the "Signature Lives" series of the Reformation Era. 2006, Compass Point Books, Ages 10 to 13.
—Carlee Hallman