Overview: This work draws on recent scholarship situating John Wyclif in his fourteenth-century milieu to present a survey of his thought and writings as a coherent theological position arising from Oxford's "Golden Age" of theology. It takes into account both Wyclif's earlier, philosophical works and his later works, including sermons and Scripture commentary. Wyclif's belief that Scripture is the eternal and perfect divine word, the paradigm of human discourse and the definitive embodiment of truth in creation is central to an understanding of the ties he believes relate theoretical and practical philosophy to theology. This connection links Wyclif's interest in the propositional structure of reality to his realism, his hermeneutic program, and to his agenda for reform of the Church.
John Wyclif has been a controversial figure since his own time, often dividing opinion between devoted followers and intransigent opponents. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there was already a developing mythos about him, and he was variously used as a symbol of heretical depravity or of valorous defense of the gospel. The Reformation calcified opinions, and the two subsequent centuries did not see much development. The nineteenth century marked the beginning of important changes in scholarly opinion, with confessional approaches weakening and giving way to greater objectivity. This trend was strengthened by the emergence of a professional class of historians around the turn of the twentieth century, but the established confessional biases were not quickly done away with until the postwar period. Today, confessional mythmaking is gone and the goal is no longer to show why one particular branch of Christianity is correct, but to present as accurate a picture as possible of the past. As the concerns of the twentieth century give way to those of the twenty-first, it is encouraging that there are still new things to be learned about the past, new ways of seeing and engaging, even with figures so well studied as Wyclif.
This is a modern-spelling version of the 14th century middle english translation by John Wycliffe and John Purvey, the first complete english vernacular version, with an introduction by Terence P. Noble. Also contains a glossary, endnotes, conclusion and bibliography.
John Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation, gave us the first English translation of the Bible. A noted scholar and teacher at Oxford, his reliance on the Bible as the sole source of truth stood in stark contrast to the teachings of the Catholic church. His followers went out, teaching and preaching to the common man throughout England. Bowing himself to the authority of the Bible, his great aim was to bring men to the Word. He saw it as the one great authority, the Law that exceeded all other laws. His life’s work continued through men like John Hus and laid the groundwork for Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and the other great men of the Reformation.
This beautifully-produced, illustrated book is a very readable account of John Wycliffe, "The Morning Star of the Reformation," and his contribution to English Protestantism.
John Wyclif is known for translating the Vulgate Bible into English, and for arguing for the royal divestment of the church, the reduction of papal power and the elimination of the friars and against the doctrine of transubstantiation. His thought catalyzed the Lollard movement in England and provided an ideology for the Hussite revolution in Bohemia. Wyclif's Trialogus discusses divine power and knowledge, creation, virtues and vices, the Incarnation, redemption and the sacraments. It consists of a three-way conversation, which Wyclif wrote to familiarize priests and layfolk with the complex issues underlying Christian doctrine, and begins with formal philosophical theology, which moves into moral theology, concluding with a searing critique of the fourteenth-century ecclesiastical status quo. Stephen Lahey provides a complete English translation of all four books, and the 'Supplement to the Trialogue', which will be a valuable resource for scholars and students currently relying on selective translated extracts.
John Huss came from the ancient Kingdom of Bohemia, but his voice belongs to our collective religious heritage. He carved a place for himself in the history of revolutionary theology by taking a position that was dangerously contrary to the orthodoxy of his time and his church. Whether Roman Catholic, protestant or of an orthodox denomination this work has far reaching implications for all Christians and scholars. Orthodox denominations find in his style of preaching a resonance with the roots of their church and an older style of religious leadership. Huss can rightly be said to have rocked the Roman Catholic Church to its very foundations, threatening to rip Bohemia permanently from the bosom of mother Church. His subsequent death sentence was utterly unsuccessful in attempting to consign his views to the inferno. To Protestants, particularly those who know the roots of rebellion run deeper and further than Martin Luther ever dreamed, Huss is a hero and a martyr for the cause of religious reformation. He redefined church, fellowship within Christianity and the nature of religious orthodoxy was changed forever by his radical message. To those who do not believe he represents the powerful figure of a man of conscience, determined to get his message to the masses, no matter what it cost him personally. To some John Huss remains unabsolved, unforgiven, but his resolute conviction, right to the very end ensures that as readers we realise he also remains unapologetic. A tragic, racing read by David Schaff that ensures that we know the value of standing up for those beliefs we hold dear as well as the terrible cost. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
