Erasmus, born in Rotterdam, was the one of the most famous and influential humanist of the Northern Renaissance. He was a Dutch monk, seeking to create a more perfect world, stressed church reform based on Christian ideals. He was a man of great talent and industriousness who rose to become the leading intellectual figure of the early sixteenth century. He was also courted by rulers and prelates who wanted to enhance their own reputations by association with the greatest scholar of the age. Erasmus was his generation's finest Latin stylist, even more impressive for his much rarer mastery of Greek. Although, now, he is most vividly remembered now for his critical satires of abuses in the church and secular society and for his work as editor of the first published edition of the Greek New Testament. Erasmus even wrote and published Latin poems on both secular and religious themes, the one genre in which he had no lasting influence. His advice was sought on a variety of questions, for he was the leader of a group that criticized the weaknesses and abuses of the Church. He is known as a Christian humanist because his emphasis is on reforming and educating within the Church.