I recently read his very interesting book on Erasmus, quotes below. I know he's written some others about the reformation and would like to read them as well. He doesn't seem to have as much understanding/sympathy of Farel, Calvin and crew and the finer distinctions of reformed theology but I loved the Luther bio: he seems incredibly well-researched and his comments are often very penetrating even when you can't figure out if he's fully aware of their significance:
'Erasmus recognized that some truths elude the light of nature. Only by the light of grace can man understand the foolishness of God who chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. But if only the light of glory will show us that a god who damns and saves at his caprice is not a tyrant, then all notions of human justice have lost their religious sanction. The debate with Luther had come around to the same point as the debate with the late scholastics and the medieval exegetes. The scholastics said that God can do anything according to His absolute power which ordinarily He does not exercise to the full. Erasmus would rather give up God's absolute power than to make Him no longer amenable to the canons of human reason and the moral sense. The medieval exegetes justified the immoralities of the patriarchs, because sanctioned and even commanded by God whose will, whatever it is, cannot but be right. Erasmus escaped this conclusion by allegory. Luther said, "Let God be God." Erasmus said, "Let God be good."'
And here is a quote from one of Erasmus' writings:
'As we approach death the sacraments are not to be despised, but of greater importance are faith and charity without which all else is vain. I believe there are many not absolved by the priest, not having taken the Eucharist, not having been anointed, not having received Christian burial who rest in peace, while many who have had all the rites of the Church and have been buried next to the altar have gone to hell. There is no point in putting on a cowl. Better to resolve to live a better life if you get well. I knew a noble woman who gave a large sum to a priest to have masses said for soul at Rome. Her money might better have been spent to obligate the priest never to go to Rome. Some leave everything to a particular monastery for its prayers. Better to turn to all the saints from the foundation of the world than to those of a single order. Christ said, "Come unto me all ye that labor." Take refuge then in his cave in the rocks. Flee to his wounds and you will be safe. The way to enter paradise is the way of the penitent thief. Say simply, "Thy will be done. The world is crucified to me and I to the world."'
A surprisingly sympathetic portrait of someone I was predisposed not to like: I think he was confused even in the things he seems to have gotten right (as that he seems to have reacted against the RC sacraments more as believing the piety of the heart to be somewhat irrelevant of means, than on really Biblical grounds). And he does seem to have made a modern idea of tolerance and niceness a foundational virtue, starting with God. But I couldn't help enjoying getting to know him, and hope I will always remember that last beautiful bit of the second quote.
