In my research for my medieval novel Sword of Forgiveness I ran across some interesting historical information about John Wycliffe and his followers, the Lollards. I found it so interesting I couldn't help but to change the direction of my story.
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| Wycliffe and the Lollards The Poor Priests by William Fredrick Yeames |
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| Martin Luther |
We all know who Martin Luther is and The Ninety-Five Thesis and how it is credited as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. But few are aware that John Wycliffe and the Lollard campaign was a precursor to the
Protestant Reformation.
John Wycliffe, born in 1330, was
a lay preacher, university teacher at Oxford, and reformer in England.
One of Wycliffe's greatest accomplishments to the people was his translation of the Bible into Middle English which was the first complete translation in the language. His translation of the Bible is said to have made a notable influence on the Middle English language.
Public Domain picture Wiki
He developed a number of doctrines, most importantly that the Bible is the supreme authority. He believed that if individuals understood the bible it would lead to moral living where the church taught that salvation was only gained by taking the holy sacraments. He also believed that a godly person was more important and morally superior to a wicked ordained cleric. He didn’t believe the church should be rich and have luxuries, but should be more like the church of the apostles and they should hold no property. This belief was later condemned as heretical.
Wycliffe, a dissident in the Roman Catholic Church, and extremely influential
amongst the people, gained followers known as Lollards. His ideas flowed among the intellectual circles of his time from which many of the Lollards derived. These followers
preached biblically-centered reform along with speaking out against the
clerical. Wycliffe was one of the first to challenge the papal
authority over secular power. His and the Lollard’s beliefs were considered a
threat to the Catholic Church.
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| John of Gaunt By Said variously to be attributed to Lucas Cornelisz de Kock (1495–1552) Public Domain Wiki |
After the death of John Wycliffe the Lollard movement grew rapidly and they adopted Wycliffe's ideas in their most extreme form. Shortly after Henry IV issued the first order for burning in 1401 the hunt for heresy earnestly began. 41 years after his death, Wycliffe's books were burned, his body was exhumed and burned and his ashes were scattered.
Since the Lollard movement some have accused the Lollards as only being a political group attempting to overthrow the papal rule.
I'm super excited to be giving away a copy of my new release Sword of Forgiveness.
Answer one of the questions below or ask me a question about the post and be entered to win your choice of paperback or ebook. Giveaway ends March 11th.
Have you ever heard of the Lollards?
What do you think about some of the Lollards' beliefs?
Reading the last statement, do you think the Lollards sound like a political group rather than a group who cared about the souls of men?
When her father died, she had promised herself no man would own her again, yet who could defy an edict of the king? After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again
to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful,
she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon
discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry
Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t
enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is
faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing
possible execution.
Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.
Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was about
eight years old. She studied journalism at Heritage University. She raised her family and then embarked on her own
career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and
her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She
has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the
Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland
Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In
their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and
riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.
