Erasmus and His Catholic Critics, 1515-1536 (2 Vols.)

Although polemics dominated Erasmus’ literary output in the last two decades of his life, the controversies remain among the most neglected pieces in the corpus of his writings. On a different level, they add a dimension often missing in portraits of Erasmus. Usually depicted as the urbane and witty humanist who enjoyed great popularity and prestige, he appears in the works of his critics as a contentious and duplicitous theologizer who inspired disdain and loathing.