9. Desiderius Erasmus – IQ level: 177

 

A Dutch theologian, social critic, and humanist. While Catholics and Protestants were at each other's throats during the Reformation, he was a fervent supporter of religious tolerance. He created a fresh batch of Latin and Greek New Testament editions using humanist methods, which would later become important works during this turbulent period. Erasmus remained a practicing Catholic despite being critical of the Church because he thought internal reform within the Catholic hierarchy could take place without the need for the emergence of a new religion...NEXT......BACK