worth, but continued to write, maintaining a stream of
invective against his enemies. In these years he also insti-
gated the first translation of the whole Bible into English,
a work that would be completed by his followers.
After his death, Wyclif’s ideas remained a disruptive
influence for another 50 years in the populist form spread
by the LOLLARDS. Whether they also had a direct influence
on the English Reformation is disputed, but the fact that
Wyclif had anticipated almost all the conclusions of the
16th-century reformers from a position based firmly in
medieval philosophy remains remarkable.
See also: HUSSITES
Further reading: Joseph Henry Dahmus, The Prosecu-
tion of John Wyclyf (Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books,
1970); L. J. Daly, The Political Theory of John Wyclif
(Chicago, Ill.: Loyola University Press, 1962); Anthony
Kenny, Wyclif (Oxford, U.K. and New York: Oxford Uni-
versity Press, 1985); Stephen E. Lahey, Philosophy and Pol-
itics in the Thought of John Wyclif (Cambridge, U.K.:
Cambridge University Press, 2003); G. H. W. Parker, The
Morning Star: Wycliffe and the Dawn of the Reformation
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1966).Wyttenbach, Thomas (1472–1526) Swiss reformer
He was born at Biel and attended university in Tübingen.
As a lecturer at Basle he taught Ulrich ZWINGLI, whom he
encouraged to study the Bible without reliance upon the
scholastic commentaries, and interested himself in the im-
plications of the new humanist approach to literary stud-
ies. From 1515 he was pastor in his native town, but eight
years later publicly aligned himself with the Reformation
and in 1524 lost his post upon his marriage.55008 8 WWyytttteennbbaacchh,, TThhoommaass