"A judicious and discerning selection of large extracts from the
Collected Works of Erasmus ... thoughtfully designed to include
major statements of Erasmus on civility in individual morals,
humanistic study and education, the Christian life, reform of
the church, and the peaceful constraint of political force. It
is to my mind the most comprehensive and penetrating anthology
of Erasmus' writing, forcefully revealing his central values."
- Trinkaus,
Emeritus Professor of History, University of Michigan
"Rummel's collection makes available readable translations of
Erasmus' most original and influential works - the books that
made him the intellectual conscience of his generation of
scholars and the inspiration of many Reformers who took
positions he did not accept. They reveal the biblical scholar,
the humanist and literary theorist, and the social critic that
Erasmus was, far more fully and vividly than any previous
anthology."
- Anthony Grafton,
Program in History of Science, Princeton University
'The high quality of the Toronto edition of the Collected Works
of Erasmus has earned it a central place in the libraries of
scholars around the world. The Erasmus Reader extends this
impact to the carrels and desks of beginning and advanced
students of Renaissance and Reformation history.'
- Heiko A. Oberman,
Director, Division for Late Medieval and Reformation Studies,
University of Arizona