Erasmus

Erasmus (1466-1536), was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic theologian, educationalist, satirist and philosopher.

He wrote in spontaneous and natural Latin style. As a Catholic priest he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Reformation and the Counter Reformation.

He also wrote: On Free Will, In Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations in the Abundant Style, and many other works.

Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious Reformation. he developed a biblical humanistic theology in which he advocated tolerance, concord and free thinking on matters of indifference. He remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life, remaining committed to reforming the Church from within. He promoted the traditional doctrine of synergism, which some prominent Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin rejected in favour of the doctrine of monergism. His middle -rad approach disappointed, and even angered, partisans in both camps.

• synergism - In Christian theology, synergism is the belief that salvation involves some form of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. Synergism is upheld by the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Anabaptist Churches and Methodist Churches. It is an integral part of Arminian theology common in the General Baptist and Methodist traditions.
• monergism - is the view within Christian theology which holds that God works through the Holy Spirit to bring about the salvation of an individual through spiritual regeneration, regardless of the individual's cooperation. It is most often associated with Lutheranism, as well as with the Reformed tradition (such as Presbyterianism, low church Anglicanism, Puritans, Dutch Reformed Church, Reformed Baptist etc.) and its doctrine of irresistible grace, and particularly with historical doctrinal differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. This position supposedly contrasts with what is pejoratively called Arminian synergism, the belief that God and individuals cooperate to bring individuals salvation.