Author: Andy Thomson
Recommended Age: 12-14
Date Published: 1988
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Young John Wycliffe and his friend, Sebastian Ayleton, are merely students at Oxford University in the 14th century. But as the years progress, they find a shared unity in the desire to translate a Bible into English that all men can read. But the religious and political leaders are strongly opposed to this new idea, and John Wycliffe becomes another target of their hatred.
Notes from The Radical Reader:
- Noble Characters: Sebastian Ayleton is a hot-tempered young man whose father convinced him to join the church as a monk. While traveling to Oxford, Sebastian meets John Wycliffe, another fellow monk whose path takes a starkly different direction than the one Sebastian had planned. When they discover a shared unity in wanting to translate the Latin Vulgate into English, they find themselves opposed by the church and the throne as heretics.
- Captivating Plots: Riots in the streets. Plagues that ravage towns and cities. Anger and hostility towards the rebellious preachers. Will the translation of the Scriptures actually succeed, or will Wycliffe’s dream of an English Bible remain just a dream?
- Elaborate Worlds: It’s incredibly easy to forget the struggles that men and women of faith underwent to translate the Bible into the modern, vernacular language. Morning Star of the Reformation shows us the life of John Wycliffe in the 14th century as he and his apprentices fight for religious freedom in England, and for the truth of Scripture alone.
Noteworthy Elements:
- Violence: There is a reference made to a village and its townspeople that was burned by the Dominicans for believing in salvation by grace alone. During the pestilence, men beat themselves in the streets in the hopes of meriting God’s favor and removing the pestilence. When Wycliffe is being examined by the religious leaders, English yeoman come to protect him in case he is condemned to torture. While none of the details are graphically violent, they may disturb younger readers.
