Erasmus of Rotterdam is perhaps one of the most studied and published literary figures and religious thinkers; yet despite the lavish amount of attention paid to him and his work, scholarly opinion of his intellectual and historical importance is varied and ambiguous. Bruce Mansfield shows how shifting interpretations and changing critical regard for Erasmus and his work reflect cultural shifts of the last century.

Placing the development of Erasmus studies in the context of religious changes as well as shifts in humanities scholarship throughout the century, Mansfield draws out...