威克里夫是约翰胡司与路德的思想前驱，早在马丁路德发动改教之前的14世纪，威克里夫就在牛津大学发起了针对天主教会腐败的改革呼声。他是当时整个英国最博学的人，也是《圣经》研究的权威，他首先发起将《圣经》译成英文，以使平民百姓都可以阅读。他抨击天主教的奢华腐败以及对人民的愚弄盘剥。

This affecting biography chronicles the life and times of prominent European philosopher John Wycliffe, who was the first to translate the Bible into English. The 14th century, Oxford University scholar often found himself caught between opposing theological, political and societal forces: He defended England's autonomy against the pontiff's authority and championed the indigent against the wealthy's abuses.

Na Europa do século XIV, John Wycliffe correu riscos enormes ao expor as superstições que substituíram a doutrina bíblica na igreja medieval.