Erasmus and the Emotions of Death

Abstract

Abstract This article investigates the presence of emotion, primarily fear, in Erasmus’ work on death and dying. How did Erasmus approach the fear of death, how did he believe people should face this fear, and what were his own personal beliefs on the matter? These questions are addressed here. The recent growth of the study of the History of Emotion has shown just how central to the development of thought and belief in the late medieval and early modern periods the emotions were, and this is no less true of the development of thought and belief concerning death and dying. The various ars moriendi works of the period were fully aware of the natural fear of death that people had, and they approached this fear in several ways. By the time Reformed Protestant artes moriendi began to appear, readers were taught that the fear of death could only be overcome by the constant meditation upon death. In certain respects Erasmus, with his De Praeparatione, bridged the gap between Catholicism, Early Lutheranism, and Reformed Protestantism, and as such his work, and its use of and engagement with fear, is investigated in detail here.