jjares reviewed John Wycliffe: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of Christians) on + 3270 more book reviews
John Wycliffe did not believe anything that was not in the Bible. He came long before there was a Reformation. However, since his word was based on the Bible, he was fearless. At that time, only the clerics and nobility could read. Wycliffe believed that the common man should read so he could read (and understand) the Bible for himself.
John was born in 1320, in Yorkshire, England. I liked that the author established John's going off to Oxford at 16 was quite an accomplishment; also confirming that it would be a 10-day trip. The author also explained a bit about life amongst the common folk at the time. This helps the reader understand the challenges a person faced in England during that age. Throughout this book, the author explained the significance of things because he was talking about the Middle Ages. Otherwise, readers might not have a good frame-of-reference about the importance of points the author made.
Ministers of that time seem to have read the Mass book in Latin and generally, the commoners did not know what he was saying. Wycliffe translated the Bible and spoke in English, so the commoners could understand. The clerics wanted to keep the Bible in Latin so they were the only knowledgable ones. However, Wycliffe changed that. He was charged with heresy; one of the several issues was transubstantiation -- the belief that the wine and bread (of the Mass) changed into the body and blood of Christ. Wycliffe said that was a man-made theory; it did not appear in the Bible.
The author of this book did an excellent job of explaining concepts within the text for the understanding of the reader. This was a great overview for anyone wanting to know more about the great John Wycliffe, without spending a great deal of time in the research.
John was born in 1320, in Yorkshire, England. I liked that the author established John's going off to Oxford at 16 was quite an accomplishment; also confirming that it would be a 10-day trip. The author also explained a bit about life amongst the common folk at the time. This helps the reader understand the challenges a person faced in England during that age. Throughout this book, the author explained the significance of things because he was talking about the Middle Ages. Otherwise, readers might not have a good frame-of-reference about the importance of points the author made.
Ministers of that time seem to have read the Mass book in Latin and generally, the commoners did not know what he was saying. Wycliffe translated the Bible and spoke in English, so the commoners could understand. The clerics wanted to keep the Bible in Latin so they were the only knowledgable ones. However, Wycliffe changed that. He was charged with heresy; one of the several issues was transubstantiation -- the belief that the wine and bread (of the Mass) changed into the body and blood of Christ. Wycliffe said that was a man-made theory; it did not appear in the Bible.
The author of this book did an excellent job of explaining concepts within the text for the understanding of the reader. This was a great overview for anyone wanting to know more about the great John Wycliffe, without spending a great deal of time in the research.
