Erasmus as Interpreter of the Sermon on the Mount in his Paraphrase on Matthew

Abstract

This thesis examines Erasmus’s interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount in his Paraphrase on Matthew. The argument is that Erasmus offers a particularly rich reading of the Sermon through his use of the church fathers, his intratextual interpretive habits, and his exegetical insights. Chapter 1 briefly surveys major contributions for the study of the Paraphrases and provides a general introduction to the Paraphrases. Chapter 2 examines Erasmus’s frequent use of the church fathers throughout the Sermon and suggests that he shapes their works to meet his rhetorical needs. Chapter 3 surveys the intratextual connections Erasmus makes within the Sermon itself and between the Sermon and the rest of Matthew. Chapter 4 presents a couple passage-level insights from Erasmus and a discussion of his tripartite structure through the center of the Sermon as reflections from exegetical history. Chapter 5 concludes with a summary of the argument.