Wyclif - Anne Hudson

Twelve papers presented by Michael Wilks between 1965 and his
death in 1999, two of which are published here for the first
time. Wilks' research into Wyclif and 14th-century England was
very much rooted in Wyclif's own prolific writings, a perspective
that differed from the more traditional Reformation viewpoint.
The papers trace Wyclif's early history in northern England and
Oxford and ask why the established and favoured civil servant
turned against Edward III and Richard II and died a traitor and
heretic. Wilks' detailed analysis of Wyclif's Latin texts, with
numerous extracts and copious notes, presents Wyclif's demands
for reform and his determined campaign against the church and the
religious orders. Wyclif's name was inevitably linked with the
Peasants' Revolt, even though it attacked his patron and former
defender John of Gaunt, but even in exile he continued his fight
with attacks on both the Schism popes. The essays are the result
of 35 years of evolving ideas and opinions but all reflect the
great learning and energy of Wilks' scholarship.