Erasmus and the Middle Ages: The Historical Consciousness of a Christian Humanist the Historical Consciousness of a Christian Humanist

224 Pages·2001·1.802 MB·English

by  István Pieter Bejczy

ERASMUS AND THE MIDDLE AGES
BRILL’S STUDIES
IN
INTELLECTUAL HISTORY
General Editor
A.J.Vanderjagt, University of Groningen
Editorial Board
M. Colish, Oberlin College
J.I. Israel, University College, London
J.D. North, University of Groningen
R.H. Popkin, Washington University, St. Louis-UCLA
VOLUME106
ERASMUS AND THE MIDDLE AGES
The Historical Consciousness of a Christian Humanist
BY
ISTVÁN BEJCZY
BRILL
LEIDEN •BOSTON •KÖLN
2001
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
On the cover:
Portrait of Erasmus on his death-bed by an anonymous artist. Drawing in black chalk on
grey paper, 138 x 127 mm. Teylers Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bejczy, István Pieter, 1965-
Erasmus and the Middle Ages : the historical consciousness of a
Christian humanist / by István Bejczy.
p. cm. — (Brill’s studies in intellectual history, ISSN
0920-8607 ; v. 106)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN9004122184 (alk.paper)
1. Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536. 2. Middle Ages—Historiography. 3.
History—Philosophy—History—16th century. 4. History—Religious
aspects—Christianity—History of doctrines—16th century. I. Title.
II. Series.
B785.E64 B45 2001
199’.492—dc21
2001037777
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Bejczy, István:
Erasmus and the Middle Ages : the historical consciousness of a Christian
humanist / by István Bejczy. – Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill, 2001
(Brill’s studies in intellectual history ; Vol. 106)
ISBN90–04–12218–4
ISSN 0920-8607
ISBN 90 04 12218 4
© Copyright 2001 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Fees are subject to change.
printed in the netherlands
For Erika Rummel
Mala tempora, laboriosa tempora, hoc dicunt homines. Bene vivamus, et
bona sunt tempora. Nos sumus tempora: quales sumus, talia sunt tempora.
Augustine, Sermo 80.8

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ...................................................................... ix
Introduction ................................................................................ xi
Chapter One. The Idea of History .......................................... 1
Chapter Two. Medieval History: The Monastic Period ........ 33
Chapter Three. Medieval History: The Scholastic Period .... 62
Chapter Four. Restoring a Golden Age .................................. 104
Chapter Five. The New Testament Renewed ........................ 129
Chapter Six. Back to the Future .............................................. 153
Conclusion .................................................................................. 191
Bibliography ................................................................................ 195
Index ............................................................................................ 199

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) gen-
erously subsidised my research from the outset, appointing me research
fellow at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and enabling me to
visit several centres of research abroad: the Pontifical Institute for
Mediaeval Studies and the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance
Studies in the University of Toronto, Canada (1994, 1995, 1996,
1999); the Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven), Belgium (1997);
the Centre d’Etudes Supérieures de la Renaissance at Tours, France
(1998). I wish to thank the Catholic University of Nijmegen for insti-
tutional support, and all the scholars attached to the above-named
institutions who helped me in my work. I am particularly grateful
to Hilmar Pabel and Peter Raedts for their detailed comments on
a manuscript version of this book; to Kate van Liere, Karen Lindsey,
and Michael Milway for their corrections of my English; and to Erika
Rummel, to whom I owe my greatest debts in Erasmian studies.
Quotations of Erasmus in English translation are taken from Collected
Works of Erasmus (University of Toronto Press, 1974–) whenever avail-
able. All other translations are my own.