A.D. c.1380 · extended material

Wycliffe & the Lollards

Does final authority rest in Scripture, or in the church's tradition and hierarchy?

Historical Context

Widespread clerical corruption and Scripture locked in Latin left ordinary believers dependent entirely on the institution for access to God's word.

Controversy

Wycliffe challenged transubstantiation and papal authority directly; his Lollard followers were persecuted for preaching and circulating English Scripture.

Confession / Clarification

No formal creed resulted — instead a translation project and a movement asserting Scripture's supremacy over ecclesial tradition in practice.

Downstream Influence

Anticipates the Reformation's sola scriptura more than a century early, seeding the very principle Luther would later make explicit and unavoidable.

Further Resources

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