In Praise of Folly

Name: In Praise of Folly
Author: Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536) was the Dutch humanist scholar who dominated the intellectual life of Renaissance Europe. A Catholic priest and tireless correspondent, he prepared the first published Greek New Testament (1516), satirized the abuses of the medieval church in In Praise of Folly — the work in our library — and finally broke with Luther over the freedom of the will.

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First published: 1509
Category: Theology
Length: 37k words · about 2 hours
Chapters: 8
Narration: 🎧 Volunteer Readers

About this book

Desiderius Erasmus's celebrated satire, first published in 1509, in which Folly herself takes the stage to praise her own devotees. With learned wit she mocks the follies of scholars, monks, theologians, and churchmen of the age, exposing abuses that the Reformation would soon attack in earnest. A short, sharp classic of Renaissance humanism.