On July 12, 1536, Desiderius Erasmus died at age 69, reportedly praying, “O Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me!” His life was marked by hardship from birth—born out of wedlock, orphaned young, and forced into the priesthood through coercion. Despite poor health and a difficult education, he became determined to reform learning and promote better scholarship.
Erasmus gained fame through The Praise of Folly, a sharp satire exposing abuses in church and society, including indulgences and corruption among clergy, kings, and popes. His writings helped inspire calls for church reform, leading many to say, “Erasmus loaded the cannon, and Luther fired it.” Yet he refused to side fully with either the Reformers or the Roman Catholic Church, earning criticism from both.
A gifted scholar of Latin and Greek, Erasmus produced influential editions of the New Testament, corrected errors in the Latin Bible, translated early Christian writings, and urged Christians to study Scripture rather than rely on philosophical speculation. Near the end of his life, he dismissed worldly fame, writing that he desired only “to go home and find favor with Christ.”
ALSO ON THIS DAY
1431 – Joan of Arc walks to the market square in Rouen, Normandy, where she is to be burned, kneels and prays for her enemies, then mounts the pyre of wood. As the flames leap up, she asks for a cross to be held before her. Her final word is “Jesus.”
1527 – Philip of Hesse opens the University of Marburg.
1792 – William Carey preaches a famous sermon on Isaiah 54:2-3, before the Baptist Association meeting in Nottingham, England, at the Friar Lane Baptist Chapel, urging his listeners to “expect great things, attempt great things.”
1822 – A slave betrays plans for a massive uprising planned by African Methodist preacher Denmark Vesey in Charleston, South Carolina. One hundred and thirty-one African Americans are arrested and Vesey’s church is closed. Some of the plotters will be executed and others deported.
1972 – Watchman Nee, famed Chinese evangelist died in prison.
Accessed ChristianHistoryInstitute.org 12July2026.