Holy Scripture Speaks : The Production and Reception of Erasmus' Paraphrases on the New Testament

Erasmus' "Paraphrases on the New Testament" provides a startling example of the adaptation of the Bible to the religious and rhetorical ideals of Renaissance humanism.

Yet very little is known about the production and reception of the "Paraphrases", which comprise nine volumes of the "Collected Works of Erasmus" in English.

In this collection of 12 contributed essays, Hilmar Pabel and Mark Vessey aim to address this gap in Erasmus studies.

The papers reflect critical scholarship in three main areas: Erasmus' promotion of the ideals of Renaissance humanism; his work as an editor, translator and interpreter of the New Testament; and the impact of his published writings on the culture of Early Modern Europe.This volume reveals the rich complexity of the literary, theological, and cultural dimensions of the "Paraphrases", and indicates future directions that research in this area might take.