Lollards

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The Lollards (Lollharden, English Lollards or Matemans, Alexians, Cellites, also Wiklifites ) were the members of a religious movement that developed based on the teachings of John Wyclif in England towards the end of the 14th century and anticipated many of Martin Luther's theses . The Lollards defied the church hierarchy and advocated justification by faith. They rejected many church doctrines (e.g. transubstantiation ) and advocated sermons and Bible readings in the national language. The lollards were persecuted as heretics ; many retracted, but others went underground, where they continued in small groups throughout the 15th century. The lollards were mostly city workers and artisans. They contributed, if not decisively, to the acceptance of the Reformation in England.

Surname

The origin of their name is not known, the Latin name "lolium" ( lolch , 'swindle oat', a weed ) is believed . Possibly a comparison was made with the biblical "weeds under the wheat" that should be burned after the harvest. (Matthew 13: 24-30). There is also an interpretation approach where the name is derived from the Dutch word for marbles (lollen), because they used to hold soft murmuring chants at personal devotions and funerals. With either interpretation of this name, however, it is unlikely that the lollards called themselves that.

aims

Their main demand was a reform of the Catholic Church . In their opinion, the criterion for a priest was “true” piety as a prerequisite for the administration of the sacraments ; a truly believing lay person has the same religious authority as a priest and is therefore not bound by a hierarchy that legitimizes the church. For them, the term “Church of the Saved” applied, which referred to the true Church of Christ as an orthodox community that did not coincide with the Roman institutionalized church. They taught predestination and advocated apostolic poverty and the taxation of ecclesiastical properties . They rejected transubstantiation and supported consubstantiation . Despite the prohibition, they distributed the Bible and religious writings in the English language. (see: Bible translation ). For these reasons, they are considered the forerunners of the Reformation in England .

history

The origins of the lollards can be found in the teachings developed by the eminent Oxford theologian John Wyclif from the beginning of the 1350s. Wyclif's views, which, based on the radically realistic criticism of nominalism , propagated a radical return to the wording of the Bible and denounced the conditions in the church of that time, in particular the wealth of the clergy and monks, in a sharp form and as inconsistent with the ideals of the biblical early church unanimously met with great interest in the academic world. They were discussed very controversially and initially found many supporters, especially since the criticism of the church hierarchy expressed by Wyclif was shared by many. When in the 1370s her heretical character emerged more and more for contemporaries (this was particularly evident in Wyclif's initially indefinite, then clearly negative attitude to the doctrine of transubstantiation), however, Wyclif lost the support of his fellow professors and was dismissed from university in 1378. Over the next few decades, some of his followers began to spread his teachings in transcripts, sermons, and Bible circles (often in a rather simplified form). Numerous craftsmen and merchants, later also a number of nobles and knights, joined this movement.

The Lollards were initially supported by John of Gaunt (John of Gent), who granted them some protection and legal status. Oxford University defended its academic freedom and protected the Lollardian teachers in its field. As their criticism of ecclesiastical and political power grew, the secular powers increasingly saw the Lollards as a threat to their own privileges and those of the Church and withdrew their protection. The drama of this turning point was underscored by the political retreat of John of Gaunt, who left England to ascend the throne of Castile , which he claimed through his second wife.

The Lollards offered resolute resistance to attacks by church and state authorities. Her opponents included Thomas Arundel , Archbishop of Canterbury .

At the beginning of the 15th century they faced the most severe persecution. The burning of the craftsman John Badby on the stake in 1410 caused a stir . Badby refused to renounce the Lollardian teachings. This was the first execution of a lollard in England for the offense of heresy . A later Lollard martyr was Thomas Harding, who died in White Hill, Chesham in 1532 .

literature

  • Richard Rex: The Lollards , Palgrave MacMillan 2003, ISBN 0-333-59751-6 .
  • Anne Hudson: The Premature Reformation: Wycliffite Texts and Lollard History , Oxford University Press 1988, ISBN 0-19-822762-0 .

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