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What did Erasmus argue about war in The Complaint of Peace?

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Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus, shown in dark robes and cap, writing with a quill at a desk, after Quinten Massijs, oil on panel, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. — Erasmus Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus.

In The Complaint of Peace (Querela pacis, 1517), Erasmus expresses his deep-seated conviction that war is contrary to the teachings of Christ and the nature of humanity. Commissioned as an honorary councillor to the future Emperor Charles V, the work serves as a formal plea for peace, reflecting Erasmus's broader belief that the true "philosophy of Christ" should guide Christian society rather than the warlike ambitions of princes and popes.1

Erasmus argued that many conflicts were driven by the personal slights or ambitions of rulers who dragged entire nations into war for their own interests. He criticized those who sought to justify such violence, including preachers who labeled these wars as "just." By promoting the study of classical and Christian antiquity, Erasmus aimed to mold human nature to draw out peaceful and social dispositions, ultimately asserting that if the Gospel were truly preached, the Christian people would be spared many wars.1