WHI-Chap22-humanism
Humanism refers to human activities including literature, history, and moral philosophy. A humanist was a scholar who was interested in these humanities. One of the most notable humanists was Desiderus Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536). In 1516 he published the first edition of the Greek new Testament along with a revised Latin translation and copious annotations. Humanists were against the writing style of the scholastic theologians; they preferred the elegant and polished language of classical Greek and Roman authors and the early church fathers. Humanists like Florentine Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) traveled throughout Europe in search of manuscripts of classical works. Humanists drew their inspiration from classical authors such as Cicero.
