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 ...

This volume comprises Erasmus' correspondence during the final two years of his life, June 1534–August 1536. In the public sphere it was a time of dramatic events: the reconquest of the duchy Württemberg from its Austrian occupiers; the siege and destruction of the Anabaptist "kingdom" at Münster; Charles V's great victory at Tunis; and the resumption of the Habsburg-Valois wars in Italy. In the private sphere, these were years of deteriorating health, thoughts of impending death, and the ...

The letters in this volume reflect Erasmus’ anxiety about the endemic warfare in Western Europe, the advance of the Ottoman Turks into Europe, and the increasing threat of armed conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Germany. Unable and unwilling to attend the Diet of Augsburg (June–November 1530), summoned by Emperor Charles V in the attempt to mediate a religious settlement, Erasmus corresponded with those in attendance, urging them (in vain) to preserve peace at all costs.