1. The Early Reformers
John Wycliffe, John Huss, Girolamo Savonarola,Thomas à Kempis, Desiderius Erasmus

2. Thomas à Kempis
Thomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") was born at Kempen in Germany c.1380
Educated by and later joined Brethren of the Common Life
Wrote a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ
True enlightenment comes from self-knowledge and knowledge of and trust in God
After plague ravaged Cologne, He and the Brothers left their seclusion and moved into the city to give what comfort they could- by then Thomas was now known as a saintly man
He hated this reputation because he did not want to be considered particularly holy
Wished to return to the basics in Christianity- "Disdain that which is superficial, dedicate yourself to your inner being and you shall see that the Kingdom of God grows inside you." (II,1,1f.)

3. John Wycliffe
During the calamitous 14th century Wycliffe criticized abuses and false teachings in the Church
1382 he translated the Bible into English; it was the first European translation in over 1,000 years
Formed the Lollards who were itinerant preachers that traveled throughout England in order to start a spiritual revolution
Lollardy didn’t last long – He was expelled Wycliffe from his teaching position at Oxford
After he died, the Pope had his bones exhumed and burned while intense persecution stamped out his followers and teachings

4. John Huss Peasant origin- born in Husinec, Bohemia
Studied theology at Univ. of Prague, was ordained a priest c.1400
Influenced by the writings of John Wycliffe
Attacked the abuses of the clergy,
Angry priests turned the archbishop of Prague against him
He had the support of Wenceslaus IV (HRE) who made him rector of the university
Bishops banned his books and ordered them to be burned
He spoke out against antipope John XXIII and denounced indulgences
Was excommunicated, found guilty of heresy and burned in 1414

5. Girolamo Savonarola Nobleman from Ferrara- b.1452
Became a Dominican Friar in 1474
Preached at San Marco, Florence on the sinfulness, materialism and apostasy of the city
A great popular triumph, and by some he was hailed as an inspired prophet
Under Lorenzo the Magnificent art and literature had felt the humanist revival of the 15th century, whose spirit was utterly at variance with Savonarola's conception of spirituality and Christian morality – bonfires of the vanities
His preaching began to point plainly to a political revolution as the divinely-ordained means for the regeneration of religion and morality
The republic of Florence was to be a Christian commonwealth, of which God was the sole sovereign
1497- excommunication from Rome
Brought to trial for falsely claiming to have seen visions, false prophecies, religious error, and sedition
May 23, he and two Dominican disciples were hanged and burned, still professing their adherence to the Church.

6. Desiderius Erasmus
leader of German humanism- born in Holland-c.1466; died in Switzerland 1536
Ordained priest in 1492; Became Doctor of Divinity in Turin 1506
In Italy he was honored by the most distinguished humanists
His literary works made him the intellectual father of the Reformation
Saw Scholasticism as the greatest perversion of the religious spirit;
Stemming from primitive Christological controversies, which caused the Church to forget its simplicity and become the victim of endless philosophizing, which culminated in Scholasticism
Thought the church had moved from salvation of souls
Wanted to replace complex tradition with the simplicity of scripture, the interpretation of which should be left to the individual
Ordinances of the Church, fasts, pilgrimages, veneration of saints, the prayers of the Breviary, celibacy, and religious orders were considered the perversities of a formalistic Scholastic Tradition
Epitome of the Renaissance spirit