Handbook for the Christian Knight Desiderius Erasmus 1503

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Handbook for the Christian Knight Desiderius Erasmus 1503Erasmus encountered an uncivilized, yet friendly soldier who was an acquaintance of Battus, Erasmus' close friend. On the request of the soldier's pious wife, who felt slighted by her husband's behavior, Battus asked Erasmus to write a text which would convince the soldier of the necessity of mending his ways, which he did. The resulting work was eventually re-drafted by Erasmus and expanded into the Enchiridion militis Christiani, The Enchiridion is an appeal on Christians to act in accordance with the Christian faith rather than merely performing the necessary rites. It became one of Erasmus' most influential works.

Transcript of Handbook for the Christian Knight Desiderius Erasmus 1503

THE ONLINE LIBRARY OF LIBERTY

© Liberty Fund, Inc. 2006

http://oll.libertyfund.org/

DESIDERIUS ERASMUS, THE MANUAL OF A CHRISTIAN KNIGHT (1501)

The Online Library of Liberty is a project of Liberty Fund, Inc., a non-profit educational

foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Liberty Fund, was established to foster thought

and encourage discourse on the nature of individual liberty, limited and constitutional

government, and the free market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Desiderius Erasmus was a Christian, humanist

scholar; the first editor of the New Testament;

a classicist; and a leading voice in the

theological debates of the early Reformation in

northern Europe. He contended with the

reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546),

emphasizing the importance of free will in

human actions against Luther’s belief in the

absolute bondage of the will to sin.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Erasmus’ very popular 16th century guide

book on how to live a moral, Christian life

while avoiding formal ritual and observances.

THE EDITION USED

A Book Called in Latin Enchiridion Militis

Christiani and in English The Manual of the

Christian Knight, replenished with the most

wholesome precepts made by the famous clerk

Erasmus of Rotterdam, to which is added a

new and marvellous profitable Preface

(London: Methuen and Co., 1905).

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

The text of this edition is in the public domain.

FAIR USE STATEMENT

This material is put online to further the

educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless

otherwise stated in the Copyright Information

section above, this material may be used

freely for educational and academic purposes.

It may not be used in any way for profit.