Did you miss us? Well, we're back for the first full week of Lent Madness action! Hopefully you survived the past 24 hours with no voting -- we know it can be tough on the Lenten psyche.
One thing you may not know is that our Bracket Czar, Adam Thomas, wakes up early every morning to updated the online bracket. This is a great service to you, faithful voters, because he also posts links to all the previous battles. This will come in especially handy in subsequent rounds when you want to revisit those early rounds as you make an educated choice based on the all saintly write-ups.
In case you missed the news on Facebook or Twitter, Mechtild of Magdeburg easily swept past Isaac the Syrian on Saturday 77% to 23% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen. A few folks have lamented about the lack of close contests in the first round. This happens sometimes but...just wait.
John Wycliffe
“The morning star of the English Reformation,” John Wycliffe is best known for his translations of the Vulgate into Middle English and his attempts to reform church structures in England. A philosopher, theologian, professor, and translator, Wycliffe was condemned by the Council of Constance after his death—his bones were dug up and burned.
Born in England in the mid-1320s, Wycliffe centered his life and work at Oxford University—his intellectual home and frequently his physical address. He came of age during the Black Death, living through the upheaval caused by the plague. The dramatic changes caused by the Black Death prompted many cultural questions, and Wycliffe extended his questioning into theology and church organization. Wycliffe was drawn to the Platonist spirit of Augustine of Hippo—students frequently referred to him as “John of Augustine.” Under the influence of both Plato and Augustine, Wycliffe added his voice to a growing undercurrent in medieval theology that questioned the political power, the wealth, and control of the clergy embodied in the hierarchy based in Rome.
Contrary to popular belief, there was no official blanket ban on translating the scriptures into the languages of the common people. However, most of these texts either contained commentary clarifying Church teaching or were paraphrases written from the perspective of Church teaching. Wycliffe rejected any kind of clerical control and issued his new literal translation in order to separate the word of scripture from the Church’s interpretation of it. This position drew the wrath of church authorities and a condemnation by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel.
Wycliffe protested the wealth and political power of the Church and advocated for a religious institution stripped of its wealth, lands, and titles that would be under the authority of the king and the nobles. Not surprisingly, theologically sympathetic, powerful nobles protected him from enemy clerics. Toward the end of his life, Wycliffe’s teachings against the conventional understanding of the sacraments, including the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the necessity of confession, turned many of his former political allies against him.
Collect for John Wycliffe
Stir up in us, O God, the zeal for your Word that inspired your servant John Wycliffe that we, like him, may boldly challenge stifling systems and cling to the promises of your power and presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Moses the Black
Moses the Black was born in Ethiopia around 330. As a young man he left Ethiopia for adventures in Egypt. A servant to a wealthy Egyptian landowner, Moses surreptitiously stole from his boss, lining his pockets with the profits. When the man discovered Moses’ perfidy, he expelled Moses from his house.
Moses, a large and formidable man, gathered around him other bandits. Together they robbed and harassed people living in the Egyptian countryside. As he was fleeing the authorities, he took refuge among monks in Sketes, a desert community outside of Alexandria. Inspired by their contented piety, Moses converted to Christianity and renounced violence and carousing.
Sometime later, when four robbers assaulted the monastery, Moses stood his ground and tied up the would-be thieves, bringing them to the brothers to ask advice about the robbers’ punishment. He suggested that it would not be very Christian to repay violence with violence. The robbers were so moved by the compassion of the monks that they joined the monastery. On another occasion, Moses was summoned to a council to pass judgment on a brother. Going to council reluctantly, Moses carried a leaking jug of water into the meeting. His brothers were perplexed; Moses replied that his sins follow behind him but he did not see them and yet he was coming to judge another. The brothers were moved by this gesture and forgave the offending monk.
Moses ultimately became abbot of a community in the desert, and despite enduring racist stereotyping, he was later ordained a priest. In 405 he was warned of marauding Berbers plotting to attack his monastery. Moses sent all but a few of the monks from the monastery, insisting that the building and the brothers would not respond to any attacks with violence. “Those that live by the sword die by the sword,” he reminded his brothers. He and the remaining cohort of monks welcomed the bandits with open arms and were killed.
In his recounting of the ancient church, historian Salminius Sozomen remarked of Moses, “No one else ever made such a change from evil to excellence.” Moses is a shining example of the transformative power of the gospel and is the patron saint of nonviolence.
Collect for Moses the Black
Almighty God, whose blessed Son guides our footsteps in the way of peace: Deliver us from paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of your servant Moses, may serve you with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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285 comments on “John Wycliffe vs. Moses the Black”
cannot imagine where Protestant thinking and theology would be, without the courage of Wycliffe, and his willingness to live the truth he learned in those translations. thanks be to God, for all who give up home, comfort and country for the sake of the Gospel.
Happy Birthday Oliver! And who did you vote for? I voted for Moses the Black because he shows us that we all have the ability to turn ourselves around with God's help and that he was once a robber too!
This was one of the toughest votes yet, but I chose Moses because of his excellent example that change is always possible and violence is not the answer; Wycliffe is also truly admirable and an example of how far the Church has come since his time. But I will stand with my Ethiopian Christian brethren (The Armenian Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox church have been in communion since their founding in the the early days of Christianity) abnd vote Moses!
Went with Wycliff. Translating Bible into common languages higher impact world wide.
Have to agree with you there! What a HUGE difference having Scripture in your own language has made to millions. But Moses the Black was indeed very inspiring.
Go Moses!
Happy Double-Digit Day Oliver! Glad to see you back with us!
I voted for Moses the Black because his message contained elements of what I think real Christianity is about - love, not legalisms.
This is similar to the events that took place in the movie "Of Gods and Men" re attack on monks in Algeria in 1998 - true story. Great movie.
Valerie,
I second your recommendation of "Of God's and Men"
The dilemma presented with the monks certainly parallels that of Moses [the Ethiopian] but the film offers no easy answers. (The question, in other words is, "Should I stay or should I go?")
Can this get any harder? I chose Moses because he was so self-sacrificing, but my heart is breaking to burn the great translator yet again.
I never knew what a Berber was until I heard mention of it last week on the new PBS special series on Africa: Great Civilizations.
Still learning something new each day ... thank you Lent Madness !!
Patron Saint of Non-Violence.
I ended up voting for John Wycliffe, mainly because I suspected that he was turning out to be the underdog, but it was very, very hard.
Happy Birthday, Oliver! As I read about Moses the Black, I couldn't help thinking that not only does his name sound like a pirate name but he was kind of a pirate before he became a Christian. I voted for Moses because we need his example of non-violence.
I love Moses the most, but Wycliff spoke out against the political power, the wealth, and control of the clergy and that gets my vote.
Happy Birthday, Oliver!
I had to vote for Wycliffe. He was not a nice person ( ! ) but his faith and writing have changed history.
Both more than deserve the halos they already have (standard issue?) but the stories about Moses the Black are just too cool!
I'm astonished that so far 39% of respondents are voting for someone who denied the Real Presence in the Eucharist.... but maybe that is because I am Lutheran. In any case, both men are dedicated to living by their principles.
One of the reasons I couldn't vote for Wycliffe!
Wycliffe opposed physical presence, not real presence. The latter was not an issue for the reformers, but transubstantiation was.
My sentiments exactly but you lost me in the 2nd paragraph. Plz explain.
I'll try, though my explanation might vary from what Barbara might say. As I understand it Transsubstantiation means the bread literally becomes the flesh of Christ and ceases to be bread and the wine literally becomes His blood and ceases to be wine.
Then there is Consubstantiation (I hear this is popular among Lutherans) in which the bread spiritually becomes His flesh while still staying physically bread (though it is hard for some to consider those thin cracker-like communion wafers to be real bread in the first place) and the wine spiritually becomes His blood while physically staying wine.
And that is what I as a lay Episcopalian have picked up over the years. I'm sure one of the M.Div.s around here could explain more &/or darn any holes in my explanation.
I think that it's too bad this was not explained properly in the bio. His quarrel was with Transubstantiation, not the Real Prescence.
Wycliffe taught against the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He lost my vote there.
This is not fair to post these two together so early in the game. I was all set to vote for Wycliffe because of his courage in bringing the Bible to the people, but Moses' conversion and compassion touched my heart, particularly when I don't always fell compassion in these times.
Wycliffe may have translated written testaments, but Moses became a "living testament"! I cast my vote for Moses!
All-in for Moses the Black! Story of nonviolence, transformation. From an early life of leading a band of robbers, to conversion, to ending his life by resisting violence: "In 405 he was warned of marauding Berbers plotting to attack his monastery. Moses sent all but a few of the monks from the monastery, insisting that the building and the brothers would not respond to any attacks with violence. “Those that live by the sword die by the sword,” he reminded his brothers. He and the remaining cohort of monks welcomed the bandits with open arms and were killed.
In his recounting of the ancient church, historian Salminius Sozomen remarked of Moses, “No one else ever made such a change from evil to excellence.” Moses is a shining example of the transformative power of the gospel and is the patron saint of nonviolence.:
Patron Saint of nonviolence. I believe that we may have a Lent Madness dark horse.
Moses gets my vote because of he showed us how to be redeemed.
It was a very hard choice! As much as I admire John Wycliffe for standing up to corrupt church officials, I had to go with Moses the Black for his non-violence, something needed badly now in the world!
Dear Lent Madness friends,
In the department of things I never thought we'd have to worry about, a few different people are posing as Oliver, our friend some years past. We have tried to find the fakes ones, and we have deleted the comments. We'll continue to try to catch them. Sorry about the confusion, and I am sorry that some people have nothing better to do.
To the real Oliver, thank you for playing.
Peace,
Scott Gunn
Oh dear! Fake Olivers?! Is nothing sacred?
Some Oliver did not have the gentle wisdom that has been a hallmark of his comments. It goes to prove that one cannot be less than honest to a child and escape unscathed. Oliver, stick with telling the truth as you see it. We may not always agree, but we will listen.
Scott, thanks for keeping vigilant and for keeping standards high.
Oy veh! Thanks for that bit of detective work, Scott and your compadres on the SEC.
Boy, this is the first one that's not a slam dunk for me. Wycliffe is important to the history of the church, but Moses is an excellent example of the Christian ideal. Having written that, I realize I must go with Moses the Black.
Standing proud for my seminary - Wycliffe College, Toronto! Also his love for scripture and reforming spirit!
Thank you Bracket Czar for rising early so we may be nourished by your wisdom!! I voted for Wycliffe as he challenged the system... did things his own way! Kind of like our current administration.
St Celia makes a solid argument for the possible apocryphal nature of Moses' conversion story; however, the idea of our sins "leaking" behind us, unseen, will stick with me as I pray for God to create a clean heart in me this Lenten season. Moses it is.
A tough choice. Moses is a nice story and points out so many ways to act; however, Wycliffe stood up to the status quo and impacted many people during his lifetime. My vote goes to Wycliffe.
Hard choice. Wycliffe kept writing despite threats and opposition. He gave us the vernacular as well as wisdom about authority. My vote is with his life-long endeavor to awaken England to true faith.