Despite having enemies in the powerful Spanish religious orders, and being warned of the controversies that would arise, Erasmus published the fourth edition of his New Testament in 1527, resulting in a major crisis for Erasmianism in Spain. This period is marked by a bitter dispute between Erasmus and the conservative elements in Spain, involving behind-the-scenes manoeuvring, where it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Following this tension, a confrontation culminated in the Valladolid conference where enemies of Erasmus were obliged to come forward and where, following these events, Erasmus himself was forced to respond publicly to the charges brought against him.

The three texts in the present volume were written by Erasmus in response to his antagonists, and include An Apologia of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam Against Several Articles Presented by Certain Monks in Spain, The Answer of Desiderius Erasmus to the Pamphlet of a Certain Fever-ridden Individual, and Letter to Certain Highly Impudent Jackdaws.

Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536), a Dutch humanist, Catholic priest, and scholar, was one of the most influential Renaissance figures. A professor of divinity and Greek, Erasmus wrote, taught, and travelled, meeting with Europe’s foremost scholars. A prolific author, Erasmus wrote on both ecclesiastic and general human interest subjects.

Desiderius Erasmus' profile page

Charles Fantazzi is a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at East Carolina University and a professor emeritus in the Department of Classics at the University of Windsor.

Charles Fantazzi's profile page

Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre's profile page

"In short, this new volume of The Collected Works of Erasmus will be welcomed with great interest not only by specialists but also by those interested in the history of the Inquisition, textual censorship, the impact of the Reformation in Spain and the religious culture in the first half of the sixteenth century in Castile, and finally Erasmus’ fundamental role in bringing to life the tensions existing in the religious and political spheres of the time."

<i>Erasmus Studies</i>