한 인문주의자의 초상: 에라스무스 (The Portrait of a Humanist: Erasmus)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국도덕교육학회
· 수록지 정보 : 도덕교육연구 / 26권 / 3호 / 171 ~ 189페이지
· 저자명 : 김인

초록

16세기 종교개혁의 광풍이 몰아칠 때, 가톨릭을 비판하면서도 끝내 프로테스탄트 진영에 가담하기를 거부한 에라스무스는 두 진영으로부터 비난을 받는다. 그의 이러한 행보는 부패한 가톨릭 세력과 종교적 광기로 무장한 프로테스탄트 세력 그 어느 편에도 가담할 수 없었던 자신의 신념을 대변하고 있다. 기독교적 인문주의의 대표였던 에라스무스는 희랍과 로마의 인문주의적 자유교과는 좋은 시민을 위한 지식과 도덕을 내포하고 있으므로 참된 기독교인이 되기 위해서는 성경과 더불어 자유교과를 배울 필요가 있다고 보았다. 한편 그는 루터의 노예의지론을 비판하는 가운데, 인간의 구원에는 신의 은총과 인간의 자유의지가 동시에 작용한다고 보았다. 이성에 근거를 둔 의지는 교육을 통해 순화되고 선한 행위를 지향해야 한다. 이러한 교육적 노력을 통하여 덕과 지혜를 갖춘 인간은 종교적으로 경건한 삶에 이르게 된다는 것이 그의 주장이다.

영어초록

Desiderius Erasmus, as a typical humanist, made current the classic spirit. At one time, he as the brilliant latinist and the man of wit of the prime, had become the international pivot on which the civilization of his own age hinged. He emphasized pure Christian spirit with sincerity and courage through his many books. In The Praise of Folly, he criticized the corrupt Catholic church and scholastic philosopher. By virtue of his books which satirized the depravity of Catholic, he was excommunicated and his books are banned in Catholic church.
He asserted that the humanistic liberal studies included moral aspects and knowledge for cultured people, and so people had to study the liberal studies with the Bible for being a true Christian. He intended to combine humanism and religious piety. Meanwhile, he took issue with Luther’s assertion on the will not free. He developed the argument that Scripture teaches, philosophers prove, and human reason testifies man’s will to be free. Without acknowledgment of free will the terms of God’s justice and mercy remain without meaning. But Luther’s doctrine in On the Will not free means a recrudescence of faith and a straining of religious conceptions. Luther thought that religious conceptions were not necessary and each human co-operation to attain to salvation was a profanation of God’s glory.
Although Catholics regarded him as the corrupter of the Church, and Protestants as the betrayer of the Gospel, yet his word of moderation and kindliness did not went unheeded by either side. Erasmus was a precursor and preparer of the modern mind. In so far as people still believe in the ideal that moral education and general tolerance may make human happier, humanity owes much to Erasmus.

참고자료

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