New Light on Tyndale and Lollardy

Abstract

In the 1980s, a monograph appeared arguing that William Tyndale's theological development was influenced to a greater extent than had previously been acknowledged by England's native late medieval heresy, Lollardy. In the context of the wider debate over the relationship between Lollardy and the English Reformation, this possibility assumes something of the character of a test case. This essay advances two arguments against the likelihood of Lollard influence in Tyndale's life and thought. First, it makes use of evidence which has recently come to light concerning Tyndale's career in the 1510S and early 1520S to argue that his background lies not in dissent but in the devotional mainstream. And secondly it examines the case for the theological influence of 'Lollard themes' in Tyndale's thought and identifies methodological and material flaws in the argument which render it, as it stands, if not entirely untenable, then at least highly implausible. For it maintains that there is nothing in Tyndale's theology which cannot be accounted for either in terms of the contemporary Continental reformers whom we know he read, or in terms of the Catholic teaching and preaching familiar to him perhaps from early youth and certainly from Oxford; therefore, applying 'Ockham's razor', the essay concludes that there is no need to invoke Lollardy to explain what is already adequately explicable by more likely causes.