The Influence of Erasmus upon Melanchthon, Luther and the Formula of Concord in the Doctrine of Justification

Abstract

One of the unsolved problems of the history of sixteenth-century thought is that of the relation between humanism and religion. A key figure here was Desiderius Erasmus. Unfortunately, although exhaustive studies have been devoted to Erasmus as a Renaissance figure, not enough is known of his place in the Reformation. Compared to research into other aspects of his work, his place as a theologian has been neglected. And while several scholars have attempted to trace his influence upon some of the Protestant reformers, scant attention has been paid to his impact upon the Wittenberg leaders, especially in regard to justification. It is generally known that Luther and Melanchthon made diligent use of the Greek New Testment published by Erasmus in 1516. But the accompanying Annotations, as well as the subsequent Paraphrases, have largely been overlooked in the Erasmus research, and their impression upon the theology of the Wittenberg reformation has scarcely been investigated. With the quadricentennial observance of the Formula of Concord close at hand, this kind of study seems especially appropriate.