John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe was a prominent English scholastic philosopher and theologian during the 14th century.

He served as a Catholic priest and a professor of theology at the University of Oxford. Wycliffe is often described as the "evening star" of scholasticism and the "morning star" of the English Reformation. This means his ideas acted as a bridge between medieval thought and the religious changes that followed. He was a dissident, meaning he held views that challenged the established authority of the Church. His work laid the intellectual groundwork for later religious movements in Europe.

Wycliffe's academic career was deeply tied to the University of Oxford. He was known to be at the university around 1345 and completed his bachelor of arts degree at Merton College in 1356. In 1361, he became the Master of Balliol College, though he had to give up this role to serve the parish of Fillingham in Lincolnshire. He later held the rectory of Ludgershall, which allowed him to remain close to Oxford. Wycliffe earned his bachelor's degree in theology in 1369 and his doctorate in 1372. In 1374, he received the crown living of St Mary's Church in Lutterworth, a position he held until his death in 1384.

His theological views were shaped by significant historical events and specific thinkers. The Black Death reached England in 1348 and left a lasting impression on him. Some historians suggest this plague gave him a gloomy view of the human condition. He also studied the works of Thomas Bradwardine, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Bradwardine's writings on the doctrine of grace helped form Wycliffe's early perspectives. Wycliffe also viewed the high mortality rate among the clergy during the plague as a sign of an unworthy Church. He believed the clergy who replaced those lost to the plague were often uneducated or disreputable.

Wycliffe developed a specific political-theological theory known as dominion. In his work *De civili dominio*, or "On Civil Dominion," he argued that the Church should not own property. He insisted on the radical poverty of all clergy members. He believed that men living in mortal sin were not entitled to hold authority in the Church or the state. This theory suggested that the king should have the power to take away church property. This idea was controversial because it challenged the wealth and legal power of the ecclesiastical courts.

These ideas led to intense conflicts with both the Church and the state. In 1377, Pope Gregory XI officially condemned nineteen of Wycliffe's articles from *De civili dominio*. Wycliffe was summoned to appear before the Bishop of London at St Paul's Cathedral. During this event, John of Gaunt, the third son of King Edward III, supported Wycliffe. Gaunt was a powerful political figure who saw the wealth of the Church as a challenge to noble power. The meeting was tense and ended with an angry exchange between the Bishop and Gaunt. Following this, the Pope sent a bull against Wycliffe to several English authorities.

Wycliffe also wrote a treatise called *De incarcerandis fidelibus*, or "On the Incarceration of the Faithful." In this work, he argued against using imprisonment as a way to discipline people in the Church. He believed that excommunication should not lead to physical incarceration. He argued that the Church's spiritual authority did not include the right to use coercive physical penalties. Wycliffe believed that if church authorities abused their power, people should be able to seek help from secular leaders like the king. This reinforced his view that temporal, or worldly, power had a role in correcting religious abuses.

While there is no direct contemporary evidence, tradition holds that Wycliffe translated the Bible into Middle English. This is known as a vernacular translation, meaning it was written in the language spoken by common people. He is said to have worked on this translation in Ludgershall. His followers, often called Lollards by their opponents, adopted many of his ideas. These included beliefs in predestination and iconoclasm, which is the rejection of religious images. Wycliffe's Latin writings also had a massive impact on the Czech reformer Jan Hus. His legacy remains a vital part of the history of Western philosophy and religion.