The Challenge
Our 13 year old daughter wrote up a short review/summary for The Beggars’ Bible. She really enjoyed reading the book, once she started. (:=
This was a book that we technically had to strongly encourage our daughter to read, since it wasn’t something she would normally pick up. So we set a goal of her reading any book about a Christian missionary, and she chose this book. All of our kids chose different people to read about, and at the end, we all got to celebrate our accomplishments with yummy Chinese food! Who wouldn’t read a great book for Chinese food?
An incredible man of God
I love that she was able to learn about such an amazing man. And now when she hears the name Wycliffe, she has an association and a better understanding of who he was and what he did. This is so important! To know those who have gone before us, and who have firmly stood their ground on the Word of God despite the opposition! We all need to be reminded so that our own spines are strengthened.
I hope you enjoy the review!
Book review/summary
The Beggar’s Bible, written by Louise A. Vernon, is a book about John Wycliffe. John Wycliffe was an outspoken christian in the 1300’s, who tried to make the Bible available for commoners to read. Wycliffe had a very good education and was very smart, but he spoke out against some of the teachings/practices of the Church. He believed that paying to have your sins forgiven was wrong and that only Jesus could forgive you. He also believed that the Bible should be accessible to everyone, not just those who could read Latin.
In this book, Arnold, a poor schoolboy, heard Wycliffe’s teachings and was inspired by them. Like most of the population at that time, Arnold had no access to the Bible other than what his preacher in church told him. He wanted to be able to learn about God straight from the Bible; not from the words of another who might not be telling you everything. Arnold, like Wycliffe, believed that everyone should have a chance at reading the Bible, not just those with a ‘good’ education. So, Arnold, and other students set out to help Wycliffe translate the Bible from Latin into English. But there are problems that arise. In Oxford, where the group was translating the Bible, Arnold and his friends heard about a plot against Wycliffe. There seemed to be constant rioting in Oxford over the dispute of John Wycliffe’s teachings. There were also rumors that the Pope might kick Wycliffe out of the Church. Will they be able to finish the translation before it is too late? Or will all their efforts be for nothing?
