- Profession: Philosopher, Theologian and Professor
- Lived: Mid 1320's–December 1384 (Renaissance)
- Nationality: English
- Known for: Religious dissident and predecessor to Protestantism
- Fun Fact: Wycliffe was declared a heretic after his death and his remains were dug up, burned and the ashes scattered into the River Swift.
- Fun Fact: Wycliffe's teachings were part of what sparked the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 even though Wycliffe disapproved of the revolt itself.
John Wycliffe was born in the mid 1320's in Yorkshire England. He saw the Black Plague as a sign that the clergy was unworthy and spoke out against them repeatedly. He claimed that the clergy should live in complete poverty rather than the wealth and power they enjoyed at that time. He grew steadily more polemic and argued against the monastic orders, papacy, Catholic doctrine and claimed that the Scripture was the only reliable guide to the truth about God. His ideas led to him being declared a heretic posthumously and seen as a forerunner of Protestantism.
Back to Search Results
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In