The philosophical and theological ideas of John Wyclif, their dissemination among clerical and lay audiences, and the movement of religious dissent associated with his name all provoked sharp controversies in late medieval England. This volume brings together the very latest scholarship on Wyclif and Wycliffism, with its contributors exploring in interdisciplinary fashion the historical, literary, and theological resonances of the Wycliffi te controversies. Far from adhering to the traditional binary divide between 'orthodoxy' and 'heresy' as a tool for explaining the religious turmoil of the late fourteenth, fifteenth, and early sixteenth centuries, essays here explore the construction and rhetorical use of those terms, collectively producing a more nuanced account of the religious history of pre-Reformation England. Topics include the use of religious lyrics and tables of lessons as indirect rebuttals of Wycliffite claims, and more.

The Wycliffite Bible: Origin, History and Interpretation brings together contributions by leading scholars on different aspects of the first complete translation of the Bible into English, produced at the end of the 14th century by the followers of the Oxford theologian John Wyclif. Though learned and accurate, the translation was condemned and banned within twenty-five years of its appearance. In spite of this it became the most widely disseminated medieval English work that profoundly influenced the development of vernacular theology, religious writing, contemporary and later literature, and the English language. Its comprehensive study is long overdue and the current collection offers new perspectives and research on this, the most learned and widely evidenced of the European translations of the Vulgate. Contributors are Jeremy Catto , Lynda Dennison, Kantik Ghosh, Ralph Hanna, Anne Hudson, Maureen Jurkowski, Michael Kuczynski, Ian Christopher Levy, James Morey, Nigel Morgan, Stephen Morrison, Mark Rankin, Delbert Russell, Michael Sargent, Jakub Sichalek, Elizabeth Solopova, and Annie Sutherland .

In one series, the original writings of the universally acknowledged teachers of the Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and Islamic traditions have been critically selected, translated, and introduced by internationally recognized scholars and spiritual leaders. Until now, the mainstream historiography of Wycliffism has largely ignored the positive spirituality that Wycliffite dissenters associated with their faith. Even anthologies of Wycliffite writings have focused on their key polemical tenets rather than their spirituality. Wycliffite Spirituality offers a new, refreshing approach with a collection of texts showing that Wycliffites were as keenly interested in the spiritual life as many of their contemporaries and that Wycliffites reflected at length on such questions as how best to live a virtuous active life in the world, how most appropriately to approach God in prayer, how to understand traditional prayers such as the Our Father and Ave Maria, and how to live up to Christ's expectations for ministers and others in the church. WyclifÆs writings on spirituality, the English texts composed by his followers, and records from heresy trials that disclose information about suspects' spiritual practices and devotional lives reveal that late medieval dissenters practiced a vibrant Christianity deserving of further study. Book jacket.

Dr. John de Wycliffe (1324?-1384) is an important person in the history of the Bible and Bible translating. Are the Wycliffe Bible versions based upon Old Latin Texts close to the Received Text or are they closer to Alexandrian Texts that influenced Jerome's Latin Vulgate? In addition, many other questions have been raised in the literature such as who were Wycliffe's close associates that participated in the work; where and when did the Lollards that were associated with him originate; and many other controversies. Modern scholars have called into question Wycliffe's participation in translating and whether he translated any of the Wycliffe Bible. Was his curate or secretary, John Purvey, a Lollard as well as a writer of the prologue and a translator and of the Late Version of the Wycliffe Bible? This work is an attempt to bring attention to the questions and contradictions in the literature. This book does not solve all the problems and questions. It is an endeavor to itemize the controversies and suggest some answers. Dr. Williams' work will present the significant conflicts in current and past literature in one place so that researchers and interested students will have a starting point.

A consideration of the allegory of Christ the Divine Physician in medical and religious writings. Discourses of physical and spiritual health were intricately entwined in the Middle Ages, shaping intellectual concepts as well as actual treatment. The allegory of Christ as Divine Physician is an example of this intersection: it appears frequently in both medical and religious writings as a powerful figure of healing and salvation, and was invoked by dissidents and reformists in religious controversies. Drawing on previously unexplored manuscript material, this book examines the use of the Christus Medicus tradition during a period of religious turbulence. Via an interdisciplinary analysis of literature, sermons, and medical texts, it shows that Wycliffites in England and Hussites in Bohemia used concepts developed in hospital settings to press for increased lay access to Scripture and the sacraments against the strictures of the Church hierarchy. Tracing a story of reform and controversy from localised institutional contexts to two of the most important pan-European councils of the fifteenth century, Constance and Basel, it argues that at a point when the body of the Church was strained by multiple popes, heretics and schismatics, the allegory came into increasing use to restore health and order.

The Companion to John Wyclif contains eight substantial essays covering the central aspects of John Wyclif's life and thought. The volume's authors have drawn on an extensive amount of primary material, as well as the most recent secondary sources, so as to present a comprehensive picture of Wyclif in his times. Topics covered include a detailed life and career of Wyclif, and close analyses of his logic and metaphysics; doctrine of the Trinity and Christology; political views; Christian life and piety; sacraments; the Bible; and an examination of his medieval opponents. Experts and students alike will profit from these in-depth studies all of which provide a view of Wyclif in his late medieval context. For those not already familiar with Wyclif this volume will serve as an excellent introduction; and those with greater expertise will find fresh appraisals which may, in turn, lead to further research.

B The ''letter'' / historical events - reassessments