Childhood:
Born in the English village of Hipswell in the early 1320’s, Wycliffe spent his early life being brought up in Yorkshire. His early education was close to his home, yet it is thought he graduated to Oxford in 1345. He attended Merton College and left in 1356 with an Arts degree. During his time at Oxford, Wycliffe was known to have become disillusioned with the state of the Church and the Clergy, which would ultimately lead to conflict with the Church in his later life.
Career:
In Wycliffe’s career, he went on to become a Priest, yet he used this role to speak out against the corruption within the Catholic Church. He was an outspoken critic of the Pope and could best be described as “Anticlerical”. Wycliffe however was best known for his role in translating the Bible from it’s traditional Latin into English. During the time when the Catholic Church exercised great control over the Bible, Wycliffe allowed the lower classes to read the Bible and formulate their own opinion of the Church. Furthermore, it could be argued that Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible led to the development of the English language as it improved in hundreds of years to come. Finally, Wycliffe developed a number of followers known as “The Lollards” who shared his beliefs who were committed to opposing the Catholic Church.
Significance:
It was more of Wycliffe’s beliefs that was significant in Henry VIII’s reign, with Wycliffe and Henry himself not being alive at the same time. Wycliffe’s beliefs were instrumental in encouraging the growing opposition by the Lollards to the Catholic Church and therefore making the reformation easier.
George Foster
Born in the English village of Hipswell in the early 1320’s, Wycliffe spent his early life being brought up in Yorkshire. His early education was close to his home, yet it is thought he graduated to Oxford in 1345. He attended Merton College and left in 1356 with an Arts degree. During his time at Oxford, Wycliffe was known to have become disillusioned with the state of the Church and the Clergy, which would ultimately lead to conflict with the Church in his later life.
Career:
In Wycliffe’s career, he went on to become a Priest, yet he used this role to speak out against the corruption within the Catholic Church. He was an outspoken critic of the Pope and could best be described as “Anticlerical”. Wycliffe however was best known for his role in translating the Bible from it’s traditional Latin into English. During the time when the Catholic Church exercised great control over the Bible, Wycliffe allowed the lower classes to read the Bible and formulate their own opinion of the Church. Furthermore, it could be argued that Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible led to the development of the English language as it improved in hundreds of years to come. Finally, Wycliffe developed a number of followers known as “The Lollards” who shared his beliefs who were committed to opposing the Catholic Church.
Significance:
It was more of Wycliffe’s beliefs that was significant in Henry VIII’s reign, with Wycliffe and Henry himself not being alive at the same time. Wycliffe’s beliefs were instrumental in encouraging the growing opposition by the Lollards to the Catholic Church and therefore making the reformation easier.
George Foster