Q&D
Quick and Dirty on Erasmus
Peer of Martin Luther, had the same concerns about the Catholic church, but stayed in and worked for reform from within. Became an advocate for theological humanism--the belief that man is not hopelessly fallen, that he is a being that has unequivocal potential. He insisted that knowledge can become a burden and leads to complications that can make for a troublesome life, but that true belief can only ever be based on faith, never on reason or argument.
He disagreed with Augustin and Aquinas and said that intellectualizing is not the root cause of corruption of religious faith, but returning to simple heartfelt beliefs and forming a personal relationship with God is most important.
He embraced what he felt was the most important fundamental human traits to a happy life--simplicity, naivety and humility.
