G. D. Dodds, Exploiting Erasmus. The Erasmian Legacy and Religious Change in Early Modern England

DODDS, Gregory D., Exploiting Erasmus. The Erasmian Legacy and Religious Change in Early Modern England, Toronto, University of Toronto Press (Erasmus Studies), 2009, 368 p.

ISBN 9780802099006

RÉSUMÉ

Desiderius Erasmus'humanist works were influential throughout Europe, in various areas ofthought including theology, education, philology, and political theory.Exploiting Erasmus examines the legacy of Erasmus in Englandfrom the mid-sixteenth century to the overthrow of James II in 1688 andstudies the various ways in which his works were received, manipulated,and used in religious controversies that threatened both church andstate.

Inviewing movements and events such as the rise of anti-Calvinism, thereligious politics leading to the English civil war, and the emergenceof the Latitudinarians during the Restoration, Gregory D. Doddsprovides a fascinating account not only of the reception and effects ofErasmus' works, but also of the early history of English Protestantism.Exploiting Erasmus offers a critical new angle for rethinkingthe theology and rhetoric of the time. It is a remarkable study ofErasmus' influence on issues of conformity, tolerance, war, and peace.

BIOGRAPHIE

Gregory D. Dodds is an associate professor of History at Walla Walla University.