John Wycliffe - The Morning Star
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Keith Buckley, Peter HowellDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language); Portuguese (Original Language); German (Original Language); English (Original Language); German (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Vision Video
Movie Reviews of John Wycliffe - The Morning Star
Movie Review: The inspirational story of a truly great man of God
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit that the name of John Wycliffe was no more than vaguely familiar to me before watching this film - this is unfortunate because here is a man who deserves to be honored in the hearts of all English-speaking Christians. Dubbed "the morning star of the Reformation," Wycliffe attacked the corruption of the mother church with great courage and spiritual determination - and he did this in the 14th century, well over a century before Martin Luther and others ushered in the Protestant Reformation. The life of this religious scholar and champion of the common people is a truly inspiring one. Wycliffe, born in 1324, died in 1384 but his guiding spirit still lives and thrives today.
The church feared and despised Wycliffe. From his academic post at Oxford University, Wycliffe penned a number of controversial books criticizing or condemning church doctrines, developed a set of scholars among his students and sent them out to spread the true word of God, and truly brought the word of God to the people. The church put him on trial on three different occasions for heresy (the third taking place while he was on his death bed), but important supporters such as John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and the Queen Mother helped him maintain his position and continue his work in the critical years of his life and career.
This was a dramatic period in history. The Black Plague was still a fresh memory across the land, the Hundred Years War was exhausting the country's resources (the English peasants saw their suffering increase year after year and staged a failed revolt in 1831 - the church saw the rebellion as a consequence of Wycliffe's dangerous teachings), a child sat on the throne of England, and - during Wycliffe's most productive years - the Catholic Church itself was split along geopolitical lines, with one pope in Rome and a rival pope in Avignon. This film basically starts out with the second of Wycliffe's trials, and the corruption and greed of the church is clearly shown in the words and deeds of Wycliffe's opponents. Wycliffe railed against such corrupt practices as the issuance of indulgences, insisting that salvation could not be bought. He criticized the church for hoarding its great wealth (it owned a third of the land in England) and ignoring the increasingly destitute lives of the people. His greatest heresy came later, however, when he felt God's call to translate the Bible into the English language and thus give the people access to God's Holy word. It seems unbelievable today, but the church regarded the translation of the Bible into the "vulgar" tongue and its presentation to the people as the greatest heresy of all. The Church zealously guarded the Bible as its own property, believing the ecclesiastical order alone capable of understanding the word of God. Despite the persecution he faced, Wycliffe and a number of his former students completed the translation and defied the church by taking it to the people. In short, Wycliffe's work did much to help set the stage for the Reformation of the 16th century, particularly in England.
This is an excellent video, and Peter Howell gives an impassioned yet beautifully subtle performance as John Wycliffe. I am not sure how closely the movie follows the actual timeline of the great man's life, however, as the character in the film looks much older than the historical figure who lived only sixty years and the bulk of Wycliffe's achievements seems to be densely packed into a short period of time. Still, Wycliffe's greatness, commitment to God, and undaunted courage shine throughout the 75 minutes of the film. This is a marvelous, truly inspirational film, and Christians in particular will get something much more worthwhile than entertainment value out of it.
Summary of John Wycliffe - The Morning Star
"John Wycliffe" is a dramatic biography of the life of the 14th century scholar and cleric who translated the Bible into English for the first time. Wycliffe found himself in the middle of religious, political and social conflicts. An Oxford scholar, one of Europe's most renowned philosophers, he was a defender of English nationalism against the power of the pope and a champion of the poor against the injustices of the rich. John Wycliffe taught that God's forgiveness couldn?t be bought with indulgences. He preached that the only true authority is the Word of God, and the Word could only be understood by all if the people could read it in their native tongue. "John Wycliffe" captures the trials and heroic struggles of this significant man of faith - the "Morning Star" of the Reformation.Special Features
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, and German language tracks available
- Biography of director Tony Tew
- Study guide from "Reformation Overview" in PDF format
Winner of "Best Film of the Year" Award from the Christian Film Distribution Association.
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