What did Erasmus and Luther have in common?

Desiderius
Erasmus and Martin Luther were both Augustinian monks with a strong desire to reform the
Catholic Church. They both recognized abuses of power within the Church and the Papacy and
wanted a return to a more wholesome practicing of the religion.

In order to
make their points, both Erasmus and Luther utilized their skills as writers. In 1509, Erasmus
penned his satirical work, In Praise of Folly. Luther is best known for his
95 Theses written in 1517. While Luther's work was more direct and to the
point, both these works pointed out the abuses of the Catholic Church and argued for a return to
biblical fundamentals.

These two men and their works influenced many people
to reconsider the position of the Catholic Church and its power. Both men took issue with the
role of monasticism as well. They did not believe that a life of piety within the hierarchy of
the Church equaled led anyone to salvation. Luther articulated this with his argument that
"all Christians are priests." It was faith alone that led to grace, he
argued.

While these two men may seem to have had a lot in common, their
differences are noteworthy. Erasmus never dreamed of dismantling the Catholic Church or breaking
away from it. He merely wanted to open up the idea of questioning accepted practices that he saw
as divergent from doctrine. Luther was much more extreme and ended up fanning the flames of
Reformation that would eventually burn across Europe.

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