WYCLIFFE, HUSAND SAVONAROLA, VOICES THAT PREPARED THE

PATH OFTHE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.

Rogério Leoderio de Souza1

Roberto Rohregger2

SUMMARY
This article aims to demonstrate the movement that preceded the
The reform itself, through three great names who were part of it.
from the Pre-Reform. We will seek to show through bibliographic studies the life
from a historical and theological prism, Wycliffe, Hus, and Savonarola,
pointing out indications of the contribution to the Reformation by challenging the church
14th century Romance. Understanding the influence of these thinkers is vital.
to understand the reform as a movement that reaches Luther, how
its great exponent, but its origin precedes it and its necessity is
must be continuously present in the church.

Pre-Reformers, Reformation, Church.

ABSTRACT

This article aims to demonstrate the movement that preceded the Reformation
itself, through three large names that have been part of the pre-reform. We
will seek to show through bibliographical studies the life of Wycliffe, Hus and
Savonarola, from a historical and theological perspective, pointing out indications of
the contribution to the reform by challenging the 14th century Roman Church.
Understanding the influence of these thinkers is vital to understand the reform
as a movement that reaches Luther, as its great exponent, but its origin
precedes and its necessity should be present continuously in the church.

Keywords: pre-reformers, reformation, church.

1 Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). Bachelor's degree in Theology from
Faculty of Science, Education and Theology of the North (FACETEN) and by the Betânia Theological Seminary
(SEMIB). Postgraduate (Lato sensu) in Religious Studies (FACEL). Director and Professor of the College
Bethania Theological Institute of Curitiba - FATEBE

2 Bachelor of Theology from the Evangelical Faculty of Paraná–FEPAR and from the Theological Seminary
Bethany from Curitiba. Specialist in Psychotheology and Bioethics at the Evangelical Faculty of Paraná - FEPAR.
Theology of the New Testament Applied by the Baptist Theological Faculty of Paraná - FTBP. MASTER in
Bioethics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná - PUCPr. Professor at the Uninter University Center
(UNINTER) and the Theological Faculty Betânia - FATEBE (Undergraduate and Graduate Programs)

26
INTRODUCTION.

One of the greatest achievements of all time within the church was the
called the Protestant Reformation. This moment in history had men like
Martin Luther, who defended the right of the common citizen in the light of the Bible,

fighting against clerical sovereignty, preaching universal priesthood and

pointing out the abuses of indulgences, evidenced in the ninety-five
theses nailed to the door of the church in Wittenberg. Olson claims that, "most
Two historians attribute the dawn of the great Reformation of the 16th century to a single

day of 1517” (2001.p.380). Historically, this date is marked as the

this marked the beginning of Protestantism, however this was not an action
isolated, but the consequence of a moment that proved to be favorable for the
confrontation of ideas, according to Azevedo:

The 16th century can be considered the mature century for the
implementation of the movement known as the Reformation
Protestant. Bitter because the previous centuries paved the way and
they fertilized the events that were about to happen in this
period of History". (2007, p.88)

After Luther, the Reformation expanded through other figures.

like Melanchthon who "supported Luther's arguments, and came to
to assert the primacy of the scriptures over papal decisions." (CHAMPLIN,
1995, p.207) Another renamed character was Zwingli, who implemented the
Reform in Zurich, and for this reason he is called the third man of the reform.
Calvin one of the greatest theologians of all time, as a reformer of the
the second generation, along with the Puritans, consolidated the Reformation already

initiated. For his part, John Knox, although he was not the originator of the
Reform in Scotland was its main contributor (CHAMPLIN, 1995, p.
703).
However, all this movement, which supposedly began with Luther,
had predecessors who contributed to critical reflection on the
the positioning of the church, both in the way of its action and its theology,
according to Wirz, (2017, p.19):

27
 The sediline reform, therefore, as a perennial requirement of
church life, a desire and a movement to return to the gospel,
a purification that the Christian community feels the duty to
continuously submit oneself in order to counter the forces
mundane things that always seduce and distort them.

Thus we can understand the reform as a movement that had its

pinnacle in Luther, but was preceded by men who dared to challenge the
empire, which owned a third of all the land in England. The purpose of this
the article is to briefly present the movement that was called pre-reform,
through three great figures: John Wycliffe, John Huss, and Jerome
Savonarola, seeking to reflect on the influence they had on the movement of
Reform. The methodology used was bibliographic research, on the prism
biographical and theological, emphasizing the main aspects of his moment
historical events that wil contribute to the criticism of the church concerning the issues of their time.

1. JOHN WYCLIFFEAND HIS MESSAGE

John Wycliffe was born around 1330 in Lutterworth, county of

Yorkshire in England. Student and later teacher of
University of Oxford, died in 1384 as a parish priest, after being
removed from the University due to his radical teachings
(OLSON, 2001, p. 366). His concept of the church was deterministic, stating that
the same was the predestined body of the elect. Dividing the church into three
parts, he named the triumphant church that remained in heaven, the church
militant, which was composed of those who still remained on earth, and the church
asleep, which remained in purgatory.

As the militant church contained both wheat and tares and how
no one could know for sure, in this life, who was who, nor the
affiliation with the institutional church, nor the holding of any clerical position
guarantee that someone would become a member of the invisible church, whose
"chief of pastors" is Christ. Therefore, it was possible to be in the church without
tobeofthechurch.(GEORGE,1993,p. 39)

This concept applied to the popes, who were not excluded from
possible reprobates, and therefore, if this were the case, they should not be

28
obeyed. In 1374, Wycliffe made a trip to Bruges, France, to
negotiate peace between France and England, and to deal with the agents of the pope
regarding the fulfillment of ecclesiastical positions in England. However,
upon returning to England, he began to challenge papal authority and preach
against the immorality of the clergy (SCHAFF, p.314). In his work titled
About the Civil Landlord, he encouraged the dispossession of properties from the
clergymen and demanded a moral basis for ecclesiastical leadership. According to him, the
the riches of the leaders of the Church were corrupting them, and they needed to be taken away from

your hands are surrendered to the people who served piously to God.
(CAIRNS, 1988, p205). In his zealous opposition against corrupt leaders and
immoral of the Church, Wycliffe went as far as to denounce them as thieves, foxes
malignant, gluttons, demons, and monkeys. Later, the pope came to be
referred to as 'the main vicar of the devil' (GEORG, 1993, p.38).
Opposing the dogmas and the theological structure of the Church, in 1381 he
published a document with 12 theses arguing that the Church was against
the Scriptures, and that its doctrine was misleading (SCHAFF, p.314-325). In
In 1382 he challenged the doctrine of transubstantiation, the belief of the Church that

he claimed that the elements of communion transformed into the flesh and
blood of Christ. Wycliffe argued that the substance was indestructible, and
that Christ was present spiritually in the sacrament. Thus, the priest
I would not withhold salvation from anyone simply for having in hand the body and
blood of Christ in communion (CAIRNS, 1988, p.205).
For Wycliffe, the Bible represented the only authority for the believer,
as well as presenting the ecclesial model that the Church should revert to
to follow. Such was his confidence in the Bible that he committed himself to translate it.

in 1382, for the first time, placed the New Testament to

disposition of the common people, in their language. Their followers finished their

work of the Old Testament, making it available in 1384 (CAIRNS,

1988, p.205). His constant challenges to papal authority finally
they drew the church's attention.
In his letter to the director of Oxford, Gregory claimed that Wycliffe
was vomiting from the dirty dungeon of your heart the worst and
but condemnable heresies, thus seeking to pollute the faithful and lead them
to the precipice of perdition, to bring down the Church, and to subvert the state
secular (SCHAFF, p. 318).

29
 Almost as a response, Wycliffe declared that even the pope did not have
the right to follow Peter or Paul, unless he obeyed the example of
Christ, who was the poorest of all. In his quest to follow the model
ecclesiastical biblical, in 1380 he developed the idea of a group of
evangelists who would bring the Word to the common people.

The followers of Wycliffe, known as Lollards, consisted of

scholars from the University of Oxford, small landowners and in
many poor people from rural and urban areas. They based their
preaching, and advised disobedience to unjust clerics. (ELWELL,
1990, p. 652.

Such was the preaching of these men that, in 1401, the Church
decided to employ the death penalty as punishment for ideas
The Lollards. This group was the main means that carried the ideas and teachings.
from Wycliffe to the laypeople. Finally, Wycliffe was forced to withdraw to his
pastoral in Lutterworth, banned from teaching. In 1384, during a mass
in church, he suffered a stroke, and died two days later, on the 29th of
November. The Roman Church failed to crush its influence, for
during his two years in Lutterworth, he wrote his work Trialogus, in which
defended the principle of biblical authority over the authority of the Church, and
argued that submission to conscience took precedence over the
human authority (SCHAFF, p. 325).
In summary, Wycliffe helped pave the way for the Reformation,
provided the English with their first translation of the Bible, directly and
indirectly enabled ordinary people to hear his teachings
biblical. According to Olson, there are many reasons that justify the reputation of
Wycliffe as a precursor of the reformation, "but the greatest was his emphasis on the Bible.

as infinitely superior, in truth and authority to any tradition

"the human work" (2001, p. 369). After his death, the Church ordered that his
bones were exhumed and burned, in the expectation that their name and
the teachings were forgotten once and for all, but such an act was in vain,
for his teachings remained the same he became known as the 'Star'
d'Alva yes Reform (GEORGE, 1993 p. 38).

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2. THROUGH JOHN HUSS

The movement that Wycliffe initiated had restrictions in England, however

with the marriage of English King Richard II andAnne of Bohemia, it had the opportunity

to expand. The royal marriage enabled the union between the two nations
facilitating the flow of students between Prague and Oxford, contributing to the
dissemination of Wycliffe's ideas. (SHELLEY, 2004, p.259). How the ideas
the Wycliffe were very strong in England, the students from Bohemia
they received his influence and carried it to his homeland, where John
Huss, a student at the University of Prague, ended up adopting them. In this
a time a nationalist movement arose against the control of Bohemia by
Holy Roman Empire, which coincided with the teachings of Huss. (CAIRNS,
1988, p. 206
John Huss originated from a poor family, and during his
studies at the University of Prague, supported himself by singing and doing services
manuals (SCHAFF, p.360). Studied theology at the University of Prague and
graduated with a degree in arts (1394) and later obtained a master's degree
(1396). It was during this time of study that he became acquainted with the writings of Wycliffe and

adopted the church vision of the English reformer as an elected company,

having not the pope, but Jesus as leader (SHELLEY, 2004, p.260).
Huss became a great preacher in Prague, thus becoming
national spokesperson for the political and religious needs of its people, with
determination sought to ensure that the people maintained their rights of
protest against the immorality of the Clergy. What Huss truly
I did not intend the abolition of the institutional Church, nor even the separation.
between the sacred and the impure, but a reform within the church, based on
in the example of Christ himself and in apostolic simplicity (GEORGE, 1993,
p.39.
Huss became a problem for the institutionalized church, as his
the assertion that the supreme motto of doctrines was solely the Bible, brought
discomfort, for the Clergy who dictated the norms regarding the doctrines
existing. His teachings became so strong that even
Martin Luther quoted it against the pope, saying he was a Russophile.

31
(GEORGE, 1993, p.39)

All this force of thought against the Holy Roman Empire made
with them turning against Huss, he was immediately summoned
to the Council of Constance, with the emperor's safe conduct, however this
the safe conduct was not fulfilled. In this council, your ideas, like those of
Wycliffe was condemned, and for not wanting to recant, he was condemned to
death at the stake. The sentence was carried out, John Huss was burned to death
after your ideas were rejected by the Council, but your book
Ecclesiasurvived (CAIRNS, 1988, p. 206.). After his death, his
ideas still remained, for John Huss, just like Wycliffe, formed
several disciples. The more radical followers of Huss, known as the
Taborites rejected everything that was not in accordance with the scriptures.
relation to the laws of the Roman Church, both in Faith and in practice. In the 15th century

they became known as Unidas Fratrum (united brothers), and it was from this group
that gave rise to the Moravian Church which still exists today. Although the Roman Church has

After John Huss's life was taken, his teachings continued, and the church
Moravia became one of the most visionary ecclesiastical institutions.
missionary of the history of the Christian Church (CAIRNS, 1988, p. 206).

3. CONTRIBUTION OF JEROME SAVONAROLA

Jerome Savonarola was the third of seven children. His parents were
cults and had great influence in society. Your grandfather was a doctor of
duke of Ferrara's court, and he was very esteemed in his time. The parents
They expected that Jerônimo would one day take the position of his grandfather,
being educated by this until the age of 16 with the aim of entering medicine.

Intrigued by the philosophical teachings of Plato and Aristotle, he sought

relief in the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas, from where he received a great
influence (BOYER, 1993, p. 15). After the death of his grandfather, he spent two more

years being educated by his father and then was sent to the University,
according to Neto:

32
 University life was her first contact with the world and there
became aware of the great evils of society, the great misery
of the world, they were all things completely contrary to hers
training. He ceased to see the necessity or to have the desire to give
continuation of medical studies, but began to yearn for a
dedication of your person to the things of God and to the spiritual side of
life (1997, p.90).

He began to perceive the decline in which the church was living.

It pained his heart to know that she was full of sins and vices.
the luxury of the rich, contrasted by the deep misery of the poor ached him
heart. But after a long time of prayers and meditations, crying
and singing as the feeling burned in his chest, God spoke to him in
visions, thus being able to clearly hear his voice (BOYER, 1993, p. 16).
Savonarola, disappointed in his attempt to get married, went to the
the convent of the monastery of Bologna, where he spent seven years, after which he went to

the convent of Florence and there he realized that the Florentine people lived in total

depravity, not different from the other places where he had been. Only after that,
he recognized that only faith in God could save the sinner from total
destruction (BOYER, 1993, p. 16).
Savonarola continued having visions of God, and recognizing that they
they were genuine, he realized that he should continue preaching from
hard way against the wickedness of the people, even if few
they gathered to hear him. Realizing that God was insisting on him that
it preached, continued, and thus could see the progress of its preachings. It goes up

the voice of "thunder" condemned sin in such a startling way, that

both men and women broke into vehement cries of total
regret (BOYER, 1993, p. 18). As Neto (1997, p. 93) reports
your respect:

Savonarola's logo began to exert great influence among the people.

common of Florence, his prophetic sermons assured him
great popularity. His sermons condemning the evils of
the church made it hated by some but admired by others
others. He was strict in judging people's character and
preached his sermons with boldness.

Therefore, every time he began to preach, his sermons

they produced deep fear in their listeners. From then on, even

33
the most cultured men from other places began to listen to his words,
even having to go to Florence to witness the preachings. This led him to
to hold their meetings at the famous Duomo cathedral, where it continued
to preach for another eight years. Many would wake up early to wait until the
cathedral was open so they could hear him there (BOYER, 1993, p. 19).
Your preachings against sin were already disturbing the 'peace'
of the clergy, for from their messages the people were beginning to align in their favor

and against the church. It was then that Pope Alexander denounced Savonarola.
as a heretic and banned his activities as a preacher. Initially he
he obeyed the command, finally said that God had revealed to him that
should not submit to a corrupt court and continued to preach. He started
also arising is the opposition from a political point of view, causing
frade would lose a great part of its former popular support. In this way
the time of the rivalry existing among the monastic orders, encouraged by the
the Roman court produced the demand to the pope for a leader to come
fight against Savonarola.
According to Boyer (1993), it was then that Lorenzo de' Medici, regent of

Florence, worried about that situation, went to Savonarola and asked him.
through flattery, bribes, pleas, and even with threats, I induced him to
to give up preaching against sin, and especially against yours
perversities. Failing in his attempt, he hired a famous
preacher, Friar Mariano, to preach against Savonarola, but the people in favor
he did not listen to Savonarola, for his teachings had already been
impregnated in their hearts.
Savonarola once prophesied that someone would cross the Alps and take action.
with God's revenge on Italy. Shortly after, Charles king of
France invaded Italy, beginning the French assault against the Italians.
(NETO, 1997, p. 94). With this, its popularity increased, its influence
it was so devastating that it led the people to abandon the base literature and
mundane replacing them with the readings of their sermons. The rich
they began to help the poor. Everyone stopped to listen to him.
1993, p. 19
But all this success lasted a short time. For he was threatened,
excommunicated, and finally, "in the year 1498, by order of the Pope, he was burned

34
in public square. With the words: "You suffered for me!" ended
thus the earthly life of one of the greatest and most dedicated martyrs of all
the times" (BOYER, 1993, p. 19).
This although he was more concerned with the church's renovation
Florence and the state, were his preachings against the unruly life of
clearly that led to his death. He never reached the position of a pioneer,
but demanded the reform in the Roman church (CAIRNS, 1988, p. 207).

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Protestant Reformation was a landmark in the history of humanity, its

results were extraordinary for Western civilization and its
consequences reached the broadest fields of society. The movement
of the Reformation that reached its peak in Luther, was expanded through
later reformers, who in turn paved the way for reform
from the church. However, it is important to recognize that the actions of the pre-reformers

it was vital to 'clarify' the path that would lead to the preaching of the 95
theses in Wittenberg. To understand the Reformation as a movement and
not only an individual action is necessary to recognize the contribution
of those who preceded the criticism of the theology and practice of the church. John
Wycliffe with his ideology, attracted by the charm of the word of God,
he started a battle practically alone. He found strength in what
he himself believed it was right, inspired by a biblical reading
liberator, confronted the arrogance and arrogance of a powerful empire,
expose the inconsistencies between biblical teachings and the way the church acts
in his time. In his quest, he made disciples who embraced his cause and
they fought in her favor. Not even death can erase worthy ideals like
the Wycliffe's, for his writings and quest fell into the hands of a Young one
bohemian, who adopted them and continued such teachings.
John Huss, upon adopting the teachings of Wycliffe, gave
continuation of the fight against the abuses of the church, focusing on the
Wycliffe's intentions. Huss influenced many through his writings, and

35
he continued his influence even after his death, winning several
disciples who ended up forming the Moravian church, which still exists today
survive.
Luther, regarded as the founder of the Reformation, in his struggle against the Clergy

he cited Huss. In turn, Savonarola fought hard against the actions

incorrects of the church, always keeping in mind its internal reform,
all this vigor cost him his life, as the reaction of the clergy was to condemn him to

death.
Through this brief sample of life, action, and theological reflection
from these men, we can understand the importance they had for the
emergence of the "spirit of reform" e we can appreciate this
historical development as a movement that expanded and consolidated
in 1517. The fact that the church remained inflexible, not recognizing its
failures only increased the discontent and thus led to the rupture.
The persistence and teaching of these reformers were essential for
the emergence of Protestantism, all who were part of this movement of
in some way were influenced by the dedication and courage of these three
men who paid a high price, with restrictions and with their own lives,
for the right to express oneself in an attempt to point out a new approach to the
church.

36
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