[aruanan]

This fundamental difference points out another difference between the two men. Martin Luther was bound by the Word of God. Therefore the content of the Scripture was of utmost importance to him. But Erasmus did not hold to this same high view of Scripture. Erasmus was a Renaissance rationalist who placed reason above Scripture. Therefore the truth of Scripture was not that important to him.

Maybe this is why the version of the Greek New Testament that he assembled and edited was seen as so bad, even by the scholars of his era (invented Greek words, back translation of portions of the Vulgate into Greek, Vulgate interpolations added into the text, etc).

He was, though, the principal force of the Alumbramiento in Spain. Many of these people, targets of the Spanish Inquisition, fled from Spain in the early days of Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas. They tended to respect the value of labor with one's own hands (much like the monks of the Middle Ages) instead of embodying the classical Roman and Greek disparagement of physical labor and invention. They were the anti-conquistadores: businessmen and farmers. As a result, they settled areas of Latin America where the pickings for gold, etc., were poor. Since then, these areas have tended to have the most stable politics and economies over the succeeding centuries. A classic example of the difference between who settled which areas is that of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. This phenomenon was described by Mark Falcoff from the American Enterprise Institute back in the 80's.

[kosta50]

Martin Luther was bound by the Word of God...Erasmus was a Renaissance rationalist who placed reason above Scripture [Harley D]

What a crock! And, I suppose, Luther was bound by the Word of God by some faculty other than reason?

[HarleyD]

They tended to respect the value of labor with one's own hands (much like the monks of the Middle Ages)

It should be noted that much of this work ethic came from the Reformation-not the Church. When a cobbler asked Luther what should he do for the glory of God, Luther responded, "Make a better shoe." Up until this time professions were looked down upon and those entering the service of the Church was highly esteemed. Luther and the Reformation changed that perception.