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STUDENT #1 Post

Desiderius Erasmus, a Christian humanist, scholar and priest, lived during the early part of the European Renaissance.  Erasmus acknowledged education as an honorable profession that was based on “an educational and spiritual calling of individuals to service of others” (Gutek, 2011, p.  99).  He valued a holistic education accessible to all children and people, regardless of political boundaries, that was grounded in the Bible and classical texts from the ancient Greek and Roman cultures.  He believed that the goal of education was to develop an individual that was knowledgeable of classical literature, possessed a wide breadth of cultural understanding, able to express themselves proficiently and behave in a moral manner.  Erasmus philosophy was founded on the premise that personal freedoms and free will were endowed to humans by God and scriptural studies were paramount in the educational process.  With a revered respect for the Bible and classical culture, Erasmus was not only an expert, but a critic of both institutions and valued and participated in academic and intellectual debates with other scholars.  He perceived that knowledge of the past was integral in comprehending the present and that knowledge was attained through study and experience (Gutek, 2011).

            The educational philosophy of Erasmus was based on the process of infusing the human with classical knowledge and biblical principles.  As described by Capps (2013), “…Christianity is historical at its heart.”  Erasmus realized that to better comprehend God and religion, an understanding of historical text, including the Bible, was necessary.  It is said that he was an illegitimate son of a priest and pressured to become a priest at an early age (Gutek, 2011).  As such, he was critical of the authoritative nature of the Catholic church and certain social institutions.  He supported free will of the person and his educational strategies were a duty from God to develop others through teaching, discourse and debate to achieve personal liberty and a moral compass that was a benefit to society.   

References

Capps, M. (2013, October 21).  The importance of a Christian worldview [Web log post].  Retrieved from http://gospelproject.com/the-importance-of-a-christian-worldview

Gutek, G. L. (2011).  Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A biographical Introduction.  Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pea