Do you believe that ideas can be dangerous? New ideas can help people invent new ways to improve society.
New ideas can also pose a threat to powerful people. As humanist ideas extended their reach from Italy to the rest of Europe, conflicts arose. Some people wanted to think about the world in new ways, but this potential for change threatened the power of the Catholic Church. Erasmus (1469–1536), a Dutch humanist scholar, thought new ideas could help improve religion.
Erasmus believed there was corruption within the Catholic Church. He thought the Church should return to the simple faith of earlier times, without so much pomp and pageantry. He learned Greek so he could read the New Testament in its original language. He thought all Christians should be able to read the Bible for themselves. His humanist approach to learning about religion paved the way for big changes to come.
