John Wycliffe

Theologian, philosopher

• Born: c. 1330
• Birthplace: Yorkshire, England
• Died: December 31, 1384
• Place of death: Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England

Also known as: John Wyclif

Education: Oxford University

Significance: John Wycliffe was a fourteenth-century English theologian and philosopher known for his role in translating the Bible into the common language. Wycliffe completed a translation of the Bible into Middle English in 1382. This version of the Bible came to be known as Wycliffe's Bible. He was also known for his criticism of the Catholic Church and has been deemed one of the earliest influences of the Protestant Reformation.

Background

John Wycliffe (also spelled Wyclif) was born around 1330 in the county of Yorkshire, England. Little is known about his early life prior to his college years. Since he was born in an isolated area of Yorkshire, he was likely educated by a local priest. He left Yorkshire to attend Oxford University in 1346. During his early years of study, the mass outbreak of the disease known as the Black Death disrupted university life.

Historical records show Wycliffe was undertaking a fellowship at Merton College in 1356. Records also indicate he was a master at Balliol College around 1360. Wycliffe continued his education at Oxford during these years. He had entered the priesthood by this time and later became a seminary professor at Oxford. He also briefly served as the head of Canterbury Hall, a religious college of Oxford. Appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury Simon Islip in 1365, he was removed from the position two years later by the new archbishop. He appealed the decision to Rome, but his appeal was denied. Wycliffe eventually earned his bachelor of divinity in 1369 before earning his doctorate in 1372. By this time, he was known as one of the most prominent theologians and philosophers at Oxford. In 1374, he was appointed the rector of the parish of Lutterworth and papal provision authorized a prebend, or share of the church's revenues, to be paid to Wycliffe.

In his earliest years as a priest, Wycliffe used his station to preach reformation within the Catholic Church. Wycliffe criticized the church for engaging in corruption and heresy. He also disliked the church's system of ecclesiastical hierarchy and routinely decried the pope. He wrote his feelings down in long essays that eventually became collected as his Summa Theologie. Wycliffe composed more than a dozen essays explaining his views on church reform throughout his career, actions that often got him into trouble with the church authority. His views also inspired a religious movement known as Lollardy, which based its beliefs on Wycliffe's teachings.

Life's Work

Wycliffe got involved with governmental affairs beginning in the 1370s and routinely appeared in Parliament. He traveled to Bruges with a bishop in 1374 to discuss the religious disagreements between Pope Gregory XI and King Edward III. Although the meetings saw no compromises, Wycliffe developed an alliance with the king's son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Gaunt believed the clergy held too much power and wealth, and disliked that clergy were excluded from regular taxation. Gaunt read Wycliffe's theories, which held that in times of necessity, the kingdom had the right to reclaim property held by the church. Wycliffe also believed the clergy should abandon any property and live in poverty as punishment for the sins he believed many had committed.

Wycliffe's association with Gaunt made him several enemies. His theories came under the scrutiny of William Courtenay, the Bishop of London. Courtenay accused Wycliffe of heresy following the publication of his On Civil Dominion, which advocated for the royal seizure of church property. Wycliffe was summoned to London in 1377. Gaunt accompanied Wycliffe to St. Paul's cathedral, where the proceedings convened. The London clergy despised Gaunt, and the discussion became so heated that a fight broke out and Gaunt was forced to flee.

Three months later, Pope Gregory XI issued five papal edicts condemning Wycliffe. The pope cited eighteen errors in Wycliffe's On Civil Dominion and reprimanded the Archbishop of Canterbury, the king, and the Oxford clergy for allowing such errors to be taught in academia. The pope demanded Wycliffe be sent to Courtenay for examination. Wycliffe refused to go to Courtenay at St. Paul's, and Oxford had no intention of handing over its beloved scholar. Instead, he was confined to house arrest to avoid further punishment by the pope. Although he was forced to appear before a tribunal of bishops, he was not charged with any crime. The commission instead prohibited Wycliffe from further discussing his ideas.

Wycliffe continued to emphasize his distaste for the ecclesiastical hierarchy from the early 1380s onward. He spent much of his later life studying the scripture more deeply and developing arguments against teachings such as transubstantiation, which held that the Eucharist bread and wine were converted into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. He spoke out against the confessional and indulgences while reaffirming the Bible's teachings on faith. His arguments received heavy criticism from church authorities. He taught at Oxford until his dismissal in 1381, after which he withdrew from public life.

Wycliffe wanted everyone to have access to the scripture of the Bible, which was only available in Latin at the time. He decided to translate the Bible into the common language, a move the church strongly opposed. He believed every Christian was entitled to know the contents of the Bible, while the church found the endeavor vulgar. Despite the push back, Wycliffe managed to finish the first English translation of the Bible before his death. He died after having a stroke on December 31, 1384. His translation was revised several times after his death. The Catholic Church later made translation of scripture by unlicensed persons a crime of heresy, and named Wycliffe a heretic for his role in the translation.

Impact

Wycliffe's English translation of the Bible has proven his most important contribution during his lifetime. After his death, his theories continued to inform the arguments of those dissatisfied with the way the Catholic Church operated. Although Wycliffe's views were condemned as heresy and many of his books destroyed, his work could not be stamped out. His followers covertly dispersed his teachings and his Bible across Europe until the English Reformation, which saw the rise of Protestantism in England.

Principal Works: Nonfiction

• De Logica (On Logic), 1360
• De Dominio Divino (On the Divine Lord),1373
• De Statu Innocencie (On the State of Innocence), 1376
• De Civili Dominio (On Civil Dominion),1377
• De Ecclesia (On the Church),1378
• De Eucharistia (On the Eucharist),1379

Bibliography

"John Wyclif." Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org/cathen/15722a.htm. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.

"John Wycliffe." Christianity Today, www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/moversandshakers/john-wycliffe.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.

"John Wycliffe and the Dawn of the Reformation." Christian History Institute,christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/john-wycliffe-and-the-dawn-of-the-reformation. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.

"John Wycliffe: Biography, Facts & Quotes." Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/john-wycliffe-biography-facts-quotes.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.

"John Wycliffe on His Death Bed." Christianity.com, www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1201-1500/john-wycliffe-on-his-death-bed-11629868.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.

Lahey, Stephen Edmund. John Wyclif. Oxford UP, 2009.