Collected Works of Erasmus: Patristic Scholarship, Volume 61

Of all the church Fathers, Erasmus preferred St Jerome, for in him he found the perfect combination of ‘bonae litterae’ and ‘philosophia Christi,’ which were to become the two fundamental concepts of the Erasmian reform program. This volume is devoted to Erasmus’ edition of the works of St. Jerome, including his letters and a variety of other writings, and, most important, Erasmus’ Life of Jerome. As a work of patristic scholarship, this first critical biography of the saint was a major achievement, distinguished for its historical portrait of Jerome with all his faults and virtues, and free of the myths, legends, and stories that grew up around him in the Middle Ages. Originally published in 1516, the edition of the works of St Jerome consisted of nine folio volumes, the first four of which were Erasmus’ chief responsibility. This selection from the edition, translated and annotated by James F. Brady and John C. Olin, is the first presentation of this outstanding work since the sixteenth century and makes available parts that are both important in themselves and representative of Erasmus’ contribution. Extenstive introductions and notes by the editors provide full information about the texts. Volume 61 of the Collected Works of Erasmus series.