John Wycliffe was born into a century when the medieval world was coming to an end while a new world was not yet born. The Church, which had brought civilization and order to Europe, had grown in wealth, property, power … and corruption. The Crusades had ended, but France and England now turned on each other in extened combat. Kinghts in armor would fall to archer. Genghis Kahn was dead but his decendant, Tamerlane, would devastate the Asian continent. Even greater devasteion would plague Europe when the Black Death would kill 75 million by the end of the century. Exotic gifts from the Orient and mysterious tales from African empires south of the Sahara were shared by traders and explorers. Still unknown to Wycliffe’s Europe were the cultures already thriving on continents yet to be discovered in the century ahead.

Wycliffe

1330 John Wycliffe born in Wycliffe-on-Tees

1345 Wycliffe goes to Oxford

1353 With death of his father, Wycliffe becomes lord of manor

1360 Master of Balliol College

1361 Receives Master of Arts

1361 Ordained for the See of Lincoln

1361 Rector of Fillingham in Lincolnshire

1363 Prebend of Aust

1365 Warden of New Canterbury Hall

1367 Deposed at Canterbury Hall by new Archbishop of Canterbury (Langham); appeal to Pope Urban V fails.

1368 Rector of Ludgershall

1369 Receives Bachelor of Divinity

1370 First Presentation of his doctrine on the Eucharist

1372 Receives Doctorate of Theology

1372 Enters service of the crown

1374 Appointed Rector of Lutterworth

1374 Appointed to commission to Bruges to negotiate with papal delegation

1374–1376 Devolops “dominion” theory

1377(February) Rioting ends trial at St. Paul’s
(May) Pope Gregory XI issues five bulls against Wycliffe
(December) Wycliffe agrees to “house arrest” at Oxford

1378 Queen ...

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