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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