John Wyclif

David Coleman (The Nottingham Trent University)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

Born 1328
Died 1384
Activity 1360-1384

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Reformer
Scholar
Theologian

Resources

Wyclif's Works

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One of the most significant thinkers and writers in late medieval England, John Wyclif continues to inspire vigorous debate. Probably the most infamous English heretic in history, Wyclif challenged some of the most deeply held doctrines of the medieval Christian church; yet he did so as a figure of the establishment, holding high office in Oxford University and occupying a significant role in high political circles. His posthumous reputation has been a battlefield between those, often representatives of Catholic orthodoxy, who imagine him as a dangerous rebel and opponent of tradition, and those, such as England's earliest Protestants, who construct him in diametrically opposed terms, as a courageous defender of truth against oppressive institutional structures. Although there is little…

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1896 words

Citation: Coleman, David. "John Wyclif". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 October 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5437, accessed 21 November 2024.]