Introduction
John Wycliffe began his reformatory work in the mid 1370s.In most of his sermons, Wycliffe publicly declared that the church was not upholding the Biblical statutes accordingly. He said that the clergy of the time practiced certain aspects that were contrary to the teachings of Christ and the apostles. He publicly condemned the church for this claiming that the “there was a great contrast between what the Church was and what it ought to be” (Anonymous 10). This called for the necessity for reform, which he spearheaded.
The media he used for the reformation
Wycliffe wrote several books that sought to bring a new form of Christianity not only in England but also in other parts of the world. His first book, Summa Theologiae, taught that the Ten Commandments were to be incorporated in rules that governed the nation. He also used it as a platform to attack the Papal leadership, which he felt, sidelined the teachings of the Bible in favor for worldly ways of ruling. His second book, De civili dominio, he provided not only his ideas about how the government should be run but also the guidelines which the leaders of the time were to use. Additionally, he condemned the manner in which religious leaders, the priest, misused funds that were made for charity. Another aspect that he condemned strongly in his second book was the Avignon system with great emphasis on its commissions and exactions. He also expressed his believe that the government ought to control the church especially the religious leaders. The book is based on eighteen “strongly stated theses” which were geared towards streamlining the method of governance employed by church leaders (Anonymous 11). He used in books in teaching his students in the Oxford University about the issues that he felt were necessary to bring change in the society. He also encouraged his students to spread his ideas to the rest of the members of the society. This played a pivotal role in the spread of his ideas to most regions in the country.
Wycliffe also used some short writings i.e. tracts. They played a pivotal role in enhancing his course as far as changing the structure as well as the mode of governance of the church was concerned. He issued the tracts during his sermons as well as to his students an aspect that enabled him to gain a large audience.
Specific areas of conflict between Wycliffe and the church leaders
His eighteen theses contained in is second book also caused a lot of conflict between him (as well as his proponents) and the church leaders especially the monks. They made him to be summoned in the court for inciting members of the society to disobey the rules set by the church leaders. He was also summoned to the bishop of London, William Courtney, to explain his bold moves against the church. Nevertheless, all the hearings enabled him to gain more support from the public since his views or explanations won insurmountable support. The individuals who believed in him also protected him from the cruelty of the church leaders (Pestana 45). For instance, during his hearing before the Bishop of London, his proponents had a heated/angry exchange with the Bishop as they sought to protect him. The fury of the public made most of the English clergy to read his books, which they could not have done, was it not for the confrontation with the bishop.
Factors that enhanced his success in reforming the church
He used appropriate channels to express his views thus gaining favor form the public. His presentation of his theses in the parliament was the greatest move that enabled him to gain the trust of many members of the society. H e also composed tracts of the theses, which he presented to the public. Additionally, he accompanied them with the most appropriate explanations, interpretations as well as limitations. This boosted a clear understanding of the issues that he was fighting for.
His public hearings were also crucial to the success of his reforms. After his parliamentary presentation, he was summoned to appear at the Episcopal palace in Labette (in March 1378) where he was to defend himself against the church leaders. During the hearings, a crowd of people arrived with the intentions of protecting him. Among those who were in the crowd were prominent people who had believed in his views during his parliamentary presentation such as Joan of Kent-the king’s mother. This made the bishops (acting as the jury) to give him a relatively light punishment. They forbid him from teaching people contradictory messages about the church.
The public rescued him from detention. The Pope issued an order for the detention of the reformer in Black Hall in Oxford, which was executed by the university’s vice chancellor (Edwards 85). Following threats from his proponents or rather supporter, he was released. He continued to spread his reform message.
He also had a high convincing power as expressed in his books. One of his most important writing was a book, which he wrote after his release from the Black Hall. The books used the Bible or rather the Holy Scripture to show the truth concerning his doctrinal opinion in church leadership as well as management. It showed that God is the source of all authority and that the Bible/Holy scripture contains all truth. The book enabled those who had not understood his prior books and teachings to believe in him because the book showed that he based his arguments on the Holy Scripture. One of the factors that could have contributed to the acceptance of the book is that people always seek the answers to their questions (Bagchi and Steinmetz 16). Additionally, his knowledge and fluency in both English and Latin enable him to write the book, among other writings, in both languages reaching a large audience (Overell 102; Pestana 66)
Conclusion
John Wycliffe’s belief in the Holy Scripture fueled his desire to bring reforms to the church. He also had a detailed knowledge of the teachings of the Bible concerning the leadership of the church as well as its management. Owing to this, he was able to strongly disagree with the clergy an aspect that made him gain much support from the public. His tracts and books also played a pivotal role in enhancing the reform of the church. Additionally, his knowledge and fluency in both English and Latin was fundamental in reaching large numbers of people.
Works Cited
Bagchi, David, and Steinmetz, David. “Introduction: the Scope of Reformation theology.” 25
March 2013.
Edwards, Richard M. Studies in Biblical Literature: Scriptural Perspicuity in the Early English
Reformation in Historical Theology. New York: Peter Lang, 2008. Print.
N.A. “John Wycliffe”.Greatsite.com. 25 March 25, 2013.
Overell, Anne M. Italian Reform and English Reformations. Abingdon, Oxon: Ashgate
Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Pestana, Carla. Protestant Empire: Religion and Making of the British Atlantic World.
Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc., 2009.
“Protestant Reformation.” Theopedia.com. 25 March 2013.
