Many of the letters in this volume, which covers the period August 1530 to March 1531, reflect Erasmus' anxieties over events at the Diet of Augsburg (June-November 1530), at which the first of many attempts to achieve a negotiated settlement of the religious division in Germany came to a rancorous conclusion, thus fostering the fear that religious controversy would eventually lead to war. His other chief concerns were the continued attacks on him by Catholic critics who regarded him as a clandestine Lutheran, and the insistence of many evangelical reformers that he was their spiritual father. The literary output of the period covered includes major works aimed at members of both groups.

Volume 17 of the Collected Works of Erasmus series.

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

James M. Estes is a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Toronto and a distinguished senior fellow at the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies at Victoria College in the University of Toronto.

James M. Estes' 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

‘The Collected Works of Erasmus project has long since established a new standard for scholarly translation series to emulate. Not only have the English versions represented Erasmus’ writings in crisp and accessible language, but meticulous editorial scholarship has placed the author’s thought and work in their proper intellectual contexts.’

Renaissance Quarterly

"These letters offer substantial material for scholars interested in intellectual and Reformation history and Erasmus’s life and thought during this period. The volume’s presentation, translation, and clarifying annotations make this an excellent scholarly source. "

Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 2

‘One of the most ambitious, meticulous, and essential scholarly projects now underway.’

Modern Language Notes

‘CE invites readers to penetrate mysteries which could not be known without the publication of these letters… The scholarship is of high order. Well bound and illustrated, the University of Toronto Press continues to enhance Erasmus’ image.’

The Quarterly Review July 2017

"These translations should be welcomed not only by Erasmus scholars but by anyone interested in the intellectual, religious, and political developments of this crucial point in the Reformation."

Erasmus Studies, vol 38

‘The Toronto Erasmus project is a magnificent achievement, one of the scholarly triumphs of our time. The succession of fine volumes – both in quality of content and of design and production – has continued to fulfil the original promise of the distinguished team of editors and the equally distinguished advisory committee.’

Common Knowledge

‘Academic publishing does not get any better than this: durably bound, expertly annotated, beautifully translated editions of the works of one of the finest scholars in the illustrious history of the Christian Church.’

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society