Readers of Erasmus: humanism and the English Reformation, 1500-1550

Thesis

This dissertation is a study of the reception of Desiderius Erasmus (d.1536) in England in the first half of the sixteenth century, spanning the period between his first visit to the country (1499-1500) and the landmark publication of the English Paraphrases (1548-52). In these years, Erasmus was transformed from an obscure Augustinian canon into Europe’s most celebrated writer. Yet his rise to fame occurred just as the continent descended into religious turmoil. As a result, Erasmus’ reputation, scholarly methods and faith came under increasing scrutiny. In few regions was this process as complex as in England, where the Dutchman had long been in contact with the royal family, patrons and scholarly community. This thesis thus explores Erasmus’ changing place in English intellectual life in the sixteenth century, asking how his status as a humanist and theologian shifted against the backdrop of the English reformation.

This thesis primarily investigates these transformations from the perspective of Erasmus’ readers. The heart of this study is an analysis of several hundred surviving editions of the scholar’s works in repositories across the UK and elsewhere, tracing the ownership, circulation and annotation of his writings by English men and women in the early sixteenth century. Erasmus’ readership was extremely varied and this survey looks at a wide cross-section of readers, from kings, queens and courtiers, to scholars, clerics and members of the religious orders.

This thesis argues that readers took a far more critical approach to Erasmus’ writings than usually supposed. Challenges emerged from both within and outside the humanist community. Working from the margins, they sought to improve the scholar’s books, often reworking his ideas in the light of different scholarly and confessional agendas. These processes led to the fragmentation of his writings and the application of ever more sophisticated historical and scholarly techniques for understanding his work.

Authors: Wade, T

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-xvmyn1aym
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Renaissance humanism; English Reformation; readers; Desiderius Erasmus
• Subjects: Renaissance; History of the book; Early modern, 1500-1700; Religion