"Scientific facts were more important to him than religious dogma, unbiased research more than pure doctrine. Erasmus of Rotterdam was an irritating figure for the elites of the early modern era. But he was also the shining light of early liberal thought and as such is still a role model for us today. Erasmus of Rotterdam's career in Europe in the late 15th and early 16th centuries is the exciting life of a man who struggled against many odds for his intellectual independence and a rational, tolerant culture during the upheaval of the Renaissance, humanism and the Reformation. In her award-winning biography, Sandra Langereis presents the complex historical contexts of Erasmus' lifetime: Between monasteries and universities, but also in the light of the incipient educational reform, the threat of the plague and the political-religious upheavals of the time, Erasmus appears as a pioneering mastermind and trailblazer of modern European culture and modern humanities. " (Publisher)