Luther and Erasmus

In today’s world, religious issues are not centrally associated with everyday life. This phenomenon can be attributed partly to the secularization of government, and the infiltration of the general populace or the common people into those very mechanisms that control their daily lives. This certainly was not the case in sixteenth century Europe. In that very tumultuous era, Europe witnessed the birth of Protestantism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism. The impetus behind these new religious ideologies …

…human being, insofar as one was a proponent of pre-destination, the other a defender human dignity and worth; they did share similar views on the necessity of developing one’s personal relationship with God through the continuous study of his Word. If this commonality realized itself, then a consequent offshoot would be the drastic reduction of clerical involvement in religious communion. Whether or not Luther and the Reformers achieved this result remains an open question.